MONTMORENCY COUNTY – In a case underscoring the importance of Michigan’s bear-baiting regulations, state wildlife biologists recently removed a plastic lid from the neck of a young black bear in Montmorency County. The bear had carried the lid for two years.
It’s unclear exactly how or where the male bear got its head stuck in the 5-inch opening. The blue lid resembles those used on 55-gallon drums, commonly used by hunters for bear bait or by landowners to store items like chicken feed.
Baiting is legal in Michigan, but bait containers are restricted to private land and must have holes either 1 inch or less or 22 inches or more in diameter.
“Openings of certain sizes can trap bears or other wildlife, causing injury or death,” said Cody Norton, bear, furbearer and small game specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “The diameter of the opening is more important than the size of the container.”
Norton urged landowners to be BearWise by recycling or crushing containers and securing attractants like garbage. He noted similar cases in Florida, Wisconsin and Tennessee.
Biologists at the DNR’s Atlanta field office first saw trail cam images of the then-cub in 2023. Elusive over the next two years, the bear was finally located in May when a Hillman resident spotted it on trail cam footage and contacted the DNR.
With permission from the landowner, biologists set a baited trap and safely captured the bear on June 2. After anesthetizing the animal, they removed the lid and collected measurements and data.
The bear, weighing 110 pounds, had scarring and an abscess around its neck but was otherwise healthy. It was released on-site after recovering from anesthesia.
Norton said the operation offered valuable training and data for future bear research and management. Michigan is home to an estimated 13,000 black bears, about 1,700 of which live in the northern Lower Peninsula.
To learn more about reducing bear conflicts, visit BearWise.
