People enjoy interacting with wildlife. But it's usually not a good idea. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is again cautioning residents to avoid contact with bears. The DNR says on their website, "To live peacefully with bears, humans play a part by being responsible for their behavior."

The DNR states that with no human assistance, bears rely on vegetation in the spring, certain species of ants in the summer, and berries and nuts in the fall. But humans will frequently make things too easy for bears to go off their diet.

Food at campsites, unsecured garbage cans, birdseed, and some agricultural products will entice bears to encroach on people. "The best way to avoid problems with bears is to not attract them in the first place. Once a bear finds a food source, it will return repeatedly," the DNR states.

"Black bears, by nature, are wary of people and not normally aggressive. They are, however, large, powerful, and surprisingly fast-moving animals. Anyone who encounters a bear should have healthy respect for it, but, at the same time, do not feel that it is an inherent threat," continues the DNR.

You might want to have bear spray with you if you in an area where you could encounter a bear. The DNR notes that bear spray is not meant to be sprayed on you like insect spray, but rather at the bear.

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