Hillybillyhunter, animals are simply not capable of operating outside of instict, they just aren't that evolved (thats what seperates them from us). An animals instict provides all their reasoning for doing anything (including attacking people)all these actionsare oriented at surviving. To create an evironment more "prone" to attack, these animals would have to be hunting us in the first place, which isnt the case otherwise they would be wondering into every elementary school and snatching children because they would certainly make for an easy meal that killing an elk or something they are actually accustomed to eating. What your creating is an environment more prone to predator/human encounter. Although, with the ignorance of most people trying to hand feed bears and approach them to take picture- these morons may be more prone to attack because they are playing on the food insticts, or fight or flight response. Im not saying there isn't A LOT of probelms associated with the current management practices but I REALLy don't want to see them scraped all together.

Buckshot,I really like that we have resorted to insulting my age- thats really speaks on character. Im no 'babe' when it comes to the woods, I have spent 10 seasons hunting deer, turkery, and bear in several states. In addition i have a solid education, a BS degree in Parks and Resource Management and Geographic Information Systems. I get paid alot of money to analyze and study data associated with animal/human impact in resource management cases. I to have encountered bears in the woods of Western Pa, an WV and seen the a reaction similiar to what you are describing although it was in Glacier National Park. The reason these Pa bears ran from you is they are lest accustomed to human interaction, but i assure you if those very same bears felt you a threat to themselves or their young, or perhaps they were starving it would have been a very different reaction. Animals attack out of instict and if you do something to trigger that, your ass is toast no matter if they have been hunted or not. Just because one bear attacks in a certainsituation, it is absolutely and ecological falacy to assume allothers will react the same way.

Oh, and are far as not being an "experienced" woodsman, i suggest you check out my picture gallery as i have taken more animals than most do in a lifetime of hunting.

But regardless, to whatever wise crack you wanna make about my age now, I believe this thread has ran it's course and im done with it. Good luck in the woods this fall.