“Wonder if some folks were feeding the bears since they usually try to avoid people. “
I’m sandwiched between federal and state forests. The bears hide out there during the day and then raid garbage cans at night. There’s no such thing as a bear-proof garbage can. (Well, I suppose if you could buy a surplus tank that would work.) I don’t know of anybody who voluntarily feeds them. The cat always tells me when one is around. (Sweetie? Why are you under the bed?)
So by 2nd week of June, nobody wants to shoot bear anymore and I stop baiting my barrels. Dang bear follow my 4 wheeler trail 2 miles back to my house, wondering why I ain't feeding them no more, ha ha. They show up at the beginning of my wood lot trail in my back yard. Quite funny actually. My dogs go nuts and chase them off. After 3-4 days they stop showing up.
In ALaska, bear are considered dangerous pests and shot on site all year long when they come around people. WE can now bait grizzly bear also, but they stay up on summits for the most part.
Twice over the years, I've had yearling (150 lbers) blk bears put the sneak on me. Come in real slow front quarters down, butt high like a cat on a rabbit in cut hay field, ears going back and forth like nuts. I was able to wave & hollar the one off at 6-7 feet, second time it happened, I shot the bear quick.
If you have bears hanging around your house, it's time to start shooting every bear there for a couple weeks; clean them out before you have a problem like this lady did. I bet she'll start shooting every bear she sees now. I have a buddy who has been mauled twice by grizzly bear, all scarred up from neck to ankle. This guy hates bear, wants them extinct, shoots poisons, snares every bear he can.