Michigan Bear Trapped in Lid for 2 Years Is Finally Free

After two long years of lugging around a plastic lid stuck around its neck, a young black bear in northern Michigan is finally free—and likely feeling a whole lot better.

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The First Sighting in 2023

It all started back in 2023, when the bear was just a cub. It was caught on a trail cam in Montmorency County with what looked like a plastic lid cinched tightly around its neck. For the next two years, the bear kept a low profile—only showing up occasionally on trail cams before vanishing again into the woods.

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Then, this May, a homeowner in Hillman spotted the bear on his own trail cam and reached out to the Michigan DNR. Wildlife biologists set a baited trap on the property, and on June 2, they finally caught up with the elusive animal.

Finally Caught After Two Years

The bear was safely anesthetized, and DNR officials were able to cut off the lid that had been stuck for so long. They also collected data on the bear.

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He weighed in at around 110 pounds, which is pretty typical for a 2-year-old black bear. While the lid had caused some scarring and even an abscess on his neck, overall, the bear appeared healthy.

Once the anesthesia wore off, the bear was released back into the woods where he was found—minus the neckwear this time.

Why Bear Baiting Rules Matter

According to the DNR, this case is a reminder of why bear baiting rules exist. In Michigan, using containers to bait bears is legal on private land—but the containers must have openings either smaller than 1 inch or larger than 22 inches. This particular lid had a 5-inch hole cut into it—just big enough for a curious cub to slip its head through, but not big enough to pull it back out.

The blue lid appeared to be the type used on 55-gallon drums, often used by hunters for baiting or by landowners to store things like chicken feed—both of which can draw in hungry bears.

With the lid finally gone, here’s hoping this bear gets to enjoy a much more comfortable (and uneventful) life in the wild,

For more on living with black bears and minimizing encounters, go to bearwise.org.