Local police are responsible. This is part of the "Whitman non-bear control" plan. Plus, DEP is constantly cutting costs and many of the biologists have so much comp time from chasing bears around last year that they have to use by July 04.

This is a good thing. I don't want my hunting fees paying for bear control because proper seasons were not established years ago when they could have been more effective. Local police in "bear country" have been trained and should be able to handle it. Every year towns in bear country pay thousands and thousands of dollars for bear control.

BTW, bear incidents reported to local police are not reported to the division. This is one of the reasons Incidents are down from year to year.