We want to keep it that way. That?s why we send a strong reminder to people in bear country every spring.

We're not into a critical time yet as far as food sources for bears if we still get some moisture in May.

Results were mixed at best. The only thing they really concluded was that they could reduce the prevalence of the disease but not eradicate it.

Landscaping based on the knowledge of deer feeding habits can reduce or eliminate costly damage.

These things may seem insignificant, but they can create behavior patterns that often can?t be reversed. Once a bear starts associating people with food, he?s a problem.

All other states where it has occurred have been states where there are captive breeders, and some states have seen it only in captive herds. So we know it seems to spread more easily in captive herds, but some researchers wonder if it just occurs spontaneously sometimes.