From 770 to 158 complaints in one year-
This shows the role that natural food availability plays in making bears into “bad” bears. As the story below indicates the changes was food availability.
It is a short shory, but very much worth reporting because bears causing damage is an easier story to write and seems to appeal to readership more than good news stories.
Black Bear Conflicts Down In N. Idaho. By Associated Press
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project and the creator of The Wildlife News.
http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/29445207/detail.html
It would appear its not the case in Bozeman, Montana. Those folks need to wake up and realize when it comes to bears/ wilderness areas and their attraction to human waste left by the wayside? Yeah, if the opportunity presents it self??
Although I’m curious if there has been any differences in the number of bears taken in those hunting units in the same period of time.