Anybody who has floated the super-scenic Smith River in central Montana in recent years knows it has a bear problem. Careless campers who failed to handle their food and garbage properly have food-conditioned a number of black bears. Likewise, anybody familiar with bear behavior knows that once a bear receives a food reward from humans, it keeps coming back for more until it becomes a safety concern and has to be, as wildlife managers put it, “removed from the population.” Hence, the truism—a fed bear is a dead bear. (more…) Continue Reading →
