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Bears are coming into town and there may not be much that can be done.
“A bear destroyed my bird feeder and we’re not the only ones that happened to,” said Ed Zupancich. “I asked what can be done and the police department said they can only shoo them away. How is that going to work?
From the viewpoint of the Babbitt Police Department, bears are more than just a nuisance.
“We’ve gotten a lot of reports about black bears running around town at night. It is very common this time of year and in late fall to have nuisance bears in Babbitt. Usually the bears move along on their own after a few run-ins with people, but some are a little more stubborn than others,” said police chief Troy Bissonette.
“It’s also pretty common for wolves and coyotes to pass through town late at night. People should take extra care to avoid leaving food or garbage outside overnight or pets unsecured. It’s best practice in these warmer months to wait to put your trash can out until the morning of garbage collection. If you see a bear in town, definitely do not feed it. Make loud noise and attempt to scare it off.”
Bissonette said there are steps to take if a bear is being a problem.
“If a bear is becoming a repetitive issue, residents are encouraged to call and make a report with the MN DNR. We can also take their report and pass it along to the proper authority. If a bear is actively in the process of causing serious property damage or imminently endangering human life in city limits then residents should call 911 immediately and a Babbitt officer will be dispatched to deal with and possibly shoot the bear. It should be noted that the MN DNR has issued previous statements that the destruction of trash cans and bird feeders does not meet this threshold on its own.”
For Zupancich, the old ways of dealing with problem bears would be good option.
“Years ago we’d call the game warden and he’d shoot the bear, end of story,” said Zupancich.
