I read that the bears come out of hibernation before their food sources fruit (like berry bushes.) The only reason I can think of that Nature might do that would be to cause them to expand their territory in search of a meal. It makes no sense to have gone months without eating and awaken to a barren land. I read the hunting stats for the state, not many are taken [or reported] in my county...14 were taken last year. It's usually single-digits. 2019 was a record harvest in the state as the regs were changed to cull the herd. Successful bear repopulation efforts collided with an increased number of humans. I don't know what motivates the hunters: sport, fur, food, making their area safer, or some combination. Folks around me deer hunt for venison, and I know a few beaver trappers, but I don't know anyone who hunts bear.
I’ve never seen a black bear ,I’m guessing they have them in the Adelaide Zoo but I don’t like zoo’s so I’ll never see one or two,or more ..we don’t have wild animals that BIG in Australia there’s been lots of sightings of alleged black panthers in the wilderness country in Victoria but no one has ever produced a really clear photo to prove if it is one or not .....it’s the same with the long time extinct Tasmanian Tiger ...some claim to see them but there again nothing proved .https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/16/australia/tasmanian-tiger-intl-hnk-scli/index.html We visited sea world while up the Gold Coast a couple of years ago ( its huge it takes you a full day to look around ) We seen polar bears there that are huge they have quite a big area to live / play in https://seaworld.com.au/animals We seen a couple of men cleaning the huge aquarium that contains huge sharks ( as well as all sorts of marine life ) that was scary just watching the sharks circling the men while one man had a big prod to keep them from getting toooooo close for comfort
In this thread, you'll see some photos/videos of the critters on our land up north, which includes black bears. I think I posted a photo somewhere in the forum - a black bear triggered the automatic double doors at the Millinocket hospital a few years ago, and there was a photo taken by the security cameras. The hospital is only a few blocks from here, but it's on the edge of town, bordering on the woods.
Where I live up in Northern Ontario, black bears are very common.. So much that we had them come up on our patio right up to the patio doors.. There has never been an attack from a bear on a human in our area.. Just leave them alone and they will not attack.. Just last week I was a few yards away from a large bear in our back yard.. I yelled and screamed at it but it didn't move.. I went about my business cautiously and it eventually left.. They are looking for food this time of the year.. Now, that said, next week is bear hunting season up here.. Personally I have eaten bear often and liked it very much..