It has also been full of bear tales as authorities report a busy bear season statewide. Massachusetts Environmental Police posted on the agency's Facebook page, "In July, officers from the Massachusetts Environmental Police responded to over 40 bear-related incidents across the Commonwealth." The incidents have not been confined to traditional bear country in Western Massachusetts, where you'd expect to find the critters, but rather all over the state. Residents in Northern New England have also noted an uptick in bear sightings this year, prompting authorities to require campers to carry bear spray in some locations. "Massachusetts is launching a continuous bear hunting season this year, from Labor Day through early December, offering three months of regulated opportunities," according to MEP.