Seeley Swan Pathfinder -

Fall is never a dull time in grizzly country, and this year the season seems to have brought a particularly steady stream of incidents between bears and people. From run-ins with hunters high in the backcountry to chicken coop raids in the valleys, too many encounters have ended badly for both four-legged and two-legged participants.

It's never simple to pinpoint the cause of a conflict. From a poor summer of berry growth in a bear's home range to hotter and longer heat waves impacting foraging behavior to an ever-growing human presence as grizzly populations slowly expand, many things can...