A man and his dog received minor injuries from an early morning encounter with a bear this week in northeastern Minnesota.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said it happened at about 4:30 a.m. Monday in Solway Township, west of Duluth.

The man let his dogs out of the house, and a short time later a bear pinned one of the dogs to the ground. The man was bitten when he kicked at the bear to get it off the dog.

The bear climbed a tree, and was gone by the time a conservation officer arrived at the scene.

The man declined medical care, and authorities said he planned to take the dog to be evaluated by a veterinarian.

The DNR said it appeared that the bear was acting defensively after being startled by the dogs. It may have been attracted to bird feeders on the property.

The agency said it encourages anyone living in areas populated by bears to remove potential food sources, including bird feeders, that might attract bears.

Turning on a light and making some noise, before letting dogs outside at night or early in the morning, can also help ensure a bear is not startled.

BearWise offers more safety tips for dog owners.

The Minnesota DNR also offers safety tips for people who live in, or visit, parts of the state populated by bears.

Collected from Minnesota Public Radio News. View original source here.