Michigan had a problem with bear-human interaction back in the 1990s. As people spread north from Grand Rapids into formerly quite rural areas (mostly looking for their lakefront dream home), and bears staged a comeback because of a lack of bear hunters, people were awakened in the wee hours by bears tearing into items which smelled of food (garbage cans, old cookstoves, etc).
Yes, we’ve had a huge population increase of the human kind. I think this last census showed an increase of 30% so it’s no wonder our property taxes are skyrocketing and our school district can’t build new campuses fast enough. It’s mostly northerners coming south and illegals coming north and all meeting right here. And then there’s the Katrina trash which is a whole other story. It wasn’t that long ago you would only pass a handful of cars on the way to town, now there’s real traffic. That’s pushing more wildlife out. We’re seeing more and more different animals around the house that we didn’t even 10 years ago. It makes me sad and angry. So, here’s to your bears.