Bear with a gun: Firearm theft baffles Minnesota Forestry Service

Right to bear arms: The Black Bear's firearm theft was a first for Minnesota Forestry Services. Photo / Mark Olivier, Unsplash

When the US Constitution was amended with the "right to bear arms", this was probably not what they had in mind.

Last week, conservation officers in Minnesota received an unusual report of a bear in possession of a firearm.

US Forest Service in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area were informed of an incident at a camping site, reported TV station KARE 11.

The site had been ransacked by a hungry black bear. Concerned campers reported a backpack had gone missing, containing food, supplies and a handgun.

Having lost track of the animal in the woods, the campers said they were unable to reclaim the items.

The service "normally would not have responded to an incident with a bear and a missing pack," said DNR officer, Mary Manning.

However, the firearm made the issue an urgent one.

In an operation involving both Forest Service and Minnesota DNR, officers went on the hunt for the armed bear on the loose.

The wetlands made the search more difficult, meaning some of the hunt was conducted via canoe.

Hunt Safely: At least one person in the US is shot by their hunting dog, every year. Photo / Getty Images

Eventually the missing pack was discovered, thanks to its bright blue colour.

"The officers responded and, after searching the area, located and recovered the partially shredded pack, numerous empty snack wrappers and the undamaged firearm," reported KARE 11.

The bear remains at large.

The Minnesota DNR said the incident involving a gun-toting teddy was a first for the service.

Manning said that the recovered weapon "definitely smelled of food". She advised hikers to double zip-lock food and other items which might attract wild animals.

Unarmed bears are considered a danger to hikers but the addition of firearms into the equation was of concern. Although there are no records of firearms incidents involving bears, the US records multiple injuries by "negligent discharge" in nature every year.

In 2019 the Washington Post reported that between 2004 and 2015 ten people were shot by their hunting dogs, accidentally discharging their weapons.

In their weekly report, the Forestry Service advised hikers to carry bear spray rather than firearms as a deterrent, saying "it's lighter, less expensive, and less dangerous if it gets in the wrong hands".

Finally we know what's more scary than finding a bear in the woods. A bear with a gun.