A record number of black bears were shot by conservation officers last year, with nearly 600 put down by the end of November.
December data hasn’t been published yet, but the first 11 months of the year saw the largest number of problem bears put down since 2011.
In 2022, conservation officers shot 500 bears. Last year’s spike is driven mainly by unusual bear activity in August and September. The conservation service received more than 11,000 calls during those two months, compared to sixty-six hundred for the same time in 2022.
Scientists say last year’s wildfires and drought, especially in late summer while bears try to fatten up for hibernation, likely forced them to forage closer to human settlements, creating the increase in lethal encounters.
