Thorson points to the black bears’ abundant options in the area for food as a reason for the population increase. “In years where there is a lot of bear food from mid-summer through the fall, we don’t hear about bears as much. Thorson said all of the bear sightings bode well for bear hunters. “When there is good and abundant food, bears aren’t much of a problem. MORE LOCAL NEWSResidents are encouraged to visit the DNR’s “Living with Bears” page ( https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/livingwith_wildlife/bears/index.html ) for more information on bear sightings and how to coexist with bears safely.