Hello Canadians and Alaskans. I�d like some info on how you deal with bears that get too close to people�s homes looking for garbage etc.
What is the official policy of your authorities (sheriffs office / wildlife auth)?
How do people react to this policy?
Do you take matters in to your own hands?

The population is growing over here in Finland. Some reference would be helpful.

Boha

If your in the big cities here in AK, its best to just call fish and game, unless of course its life or death. If its a legitimate shoot, the greenies will put alot of pressure on the cops and they will more than likely charge you with something.

In the rural areas, most of the time the fish cops will just tell ya to buy a hunting license for black bears and take care of the problem. Brownies are different, my friends who live in rural areas take matters into there own hands.
No bear is worth a human life.

Joel,
I can think of several humans I value less than bears or rats for that matter.

Here's a couple bear links from my files,

HUMAN/BEAR CONFLICT IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

Bear/Human Conflict in Alaska

LMAO critrchik, You got me on that one. I also can think of a few.

"Hello Canadians and Alaskans. �dI like some info on how you deal with bears that get too close to �speople homes looking for garbage etc."

---Bears will come into town to look for food, but usually because it is easier to find it around humans than in the wilderness. You may have to keep all dog and other pet foods indoors, and also get rid of any trash before it accumulates outdoors.

---Fish & Game will scare away, trap, and at times kill problem bears that have become accustomed to humans. But lets say that a bear threatens my family, in that case I can kill it. However It would have to be a life and death situation only.
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"What is the official policy of your authorities (sheriffs office / wildlife auth)?"

---It varies, but these usually are common sense policies. For example, if I see a bear in my backyard and the bear is just digging in the trash can, that is not enough reason for me to kill it. But if the bear charges me or one of my dependents, I would probably kill it. At the same time, if the bear charges but I can get away from the bear, then I may have enough time to call F&G so they can take care of it. In the "bush" it is another story all together, because they may not have a telephone to call F&G, or F&G may be quite a long way from the area where problem is happening.
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"How do people react to this policy?"

--- All depends on the situation, but in the majority of cases people react favorably in relation to policies, as long as the policies make sense.
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"Do you take matters in to your own hands?"

---Sometimes we do as I explained above. We also have bear hunting seasons. These sometimes keep certain bear populations at bay, but in reality there are not too many bear hunters in Alaska. For example, we have a couple of Game Management Units where grizzly bears are so numerous that the moose and other game populations have declined. To hunt grizzly bears in some of these areas is free to Alaska residents, but since the area is so difficult to access, not enough hunters kill bears there.
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The population is growing over here in Finland. Some reference would be helpful.

We have a very healthy bear population in Alaska. Perhaps you should contact a professor in the University of Calgary who is well known for his studies on bears. His name is Stephen Herrero. He has some knowledge about the bear populations in Europe, as well as in the US and Canada. Search for the Web site for the "University of Calgary;" once there, search for "Stephen Herrero" under "faculty."

[ 08-16-2002, 09:07: Message edited by: Ray, Alaska ]

Thank you all. Great help.

Boha