You raise an interesting point re: bear having to live in/climb mountainous areas. While i live in a mountainous area (w/ 600-<900 lb'ers around), it's only 1,600ish elevation and on a plateau with thick, wooded swamps (it's an easy walk for big bear-also plenty of rain/abundant water so the natural ground cover is blueberry and many other natural foods all spring/summer/fall long.) In the higher mountains to the north, the "big" ones are typ in the 450-600 lb range (but with some exceptions of course.) They still have great chow, but have to work harder to live. Just roughing it, we have about 10,000 bears (primarily in the top 2/3 of the state, so lets say in 30,000,000 sq mi.) I know most of ID is rural (and it's 80,000,000 sq mi.) What's the estimated population? Is the density lower due to somewhat poorer chow in the mountainous areas? (making the baiting attractive there) Although they exist in the lower elevation farm country here, the densities are much lower in those areas relative to the mountains. Plenty of closeby Canadian provinces allow baiting and they have somewhat smaller (450'ish) bear in thick wooded swamps with a much shorter warm season. It's an industry there (just like the one that got caribou hunting shut down.)