Hunting cannot eliminate all problem bears. But where hunting no longer occurs, tax-payer supported nuisance bear control efforts have increased substantially. In Montana, for example, where grizzly hunting stopped in 1991, three special staff have been assigned full time to control problem bears (A. Dood personal communication). There are similar needs for grizzly control programs in other Canadian and US national parks where hunting is not allowed.

Bears being left to live without any human interference would only be possible if there were large areas totally free of human influence as there was a century ago. But as long as there are yellow machines, hard hats, and helicopters out in bear country, there will be a need for proper wildlife management.

Researchers have determined that in settings such as national parks where hunting is not allowed, there are no fewer Grizzly Bears killed than if there were a hunting season. Problem bear control requires national park wardens to kill as many bears as if there were a hunting season due to the intolerance of people for Grizzly Bears (Mattson et al. 1996). But unlike hunters who select mainly for large males, problem bear control does not distinguish between males and females, resulting in higher death rates of females (McLellan et al. 1999).