The cruel truth is that the number of bears in New York and New Jersey far exceeds the carrying capacity of the land. The only way that the current population level can be sustained is by the bears raiding garbage, bird feeders, etc. This leads to bears becoming acclimated to, and dependent on, humans, not to mention an increased rate of human/bear encounters.
In the wild, non-acclimated black bears will behave confrontationally only when cubs are involved, or if someone interferes with their feeding (which includes trying to recover gear they have seized). Generally, they will run as fast as they can from humans. Acclimated bears, however, have a whole set of tricks up their (metaphorical) sleeves; bears are exceedingly intelligent animals.
In the short term, acclimated bears will be shot. If not by the DEC, then by hunters, for such bears are easier targets then their wary wild brethren. This selective pressure is not enough to eliminate so-called "problem bears," nor is it enough to reduce the population to natural carrying capacity. The real issue here is human encroachment and careless habits on the part of restaurants and householders. I've tracked a bear from restaurant dumpster to restaurant dumpster as it worked its way along the highway. Bears and dumpsters are not a happy combination (if one has the long-term health of the animal in mind).
Here in the Catskills, DEC has begun a public awareness campaign, with billboards, a slogan, lawn signs etc. It will be very interesting to see if this works. Heightened awareness, plus better enforcement of garbage laws, may very well help--I certainly hope so. However, I don't think that it will ever completely address the issue.
On a final note, black bears are pretty gentle animals. Despite their enormous strength, in the entire history of bear-human encounters there have been perhaps 35 deaths, and in most of these, foolish human behavior was a major contributory factor. As a general rule, bears do not turn "rogue" against humans, as with some predatory species. That's in part because bears are not true predators, unless you happen to be a berry bush. They will eat beetles, grubs, and most carrion. Only in rare and unusual circumstances will they attack another animal. When one considers the matter, a bear is poorly suited to stalking prey.
They are not our friends, nor our enemies. Ideally, they would exist outside the human sphere of influence as truly wild creatures. It is our own follies that lead to misadventure.
Ted.
