However, dealing with bears is a chore and just part of life for locals.

On a good day, that means constant vigilance and being conscious about little things—like where you stash your fishing gear and old take-out containers.

On a bad day, dealing with bears can be dangerous and very expensive.

Nestled in the winding waterways of Southeastern Alaska is the town of Haines. Touted as the "adventure capital" of the state, it has the spirit of a true frontier outpost.

It's the kind of place where you can buy hunting rifles and liquor directly across the street from the cruise ship dock.

It's also the location of a record-high number of bear killings out of self-defense in 2020.

That year, police received an astonishing 452 phone calls requesting help with bears breaking into homes, restaurants, and cars in search of food.

Haines police chief Heath Scott indicated the number of calls was eight times higher than in 2019.

The outcome was grim.

Official counts stated a total of 46 bears—an unprecedented number—were culled out of necessity to protect human life and property. Some Haines locals say the unofficial number was closer to 60 bears.

Last year, Haines police received more than 50 bear-related calls. That's still above the average, which is around 35-50 calls per year.

Quick to sound the alarm, some climate alarmists cite lower fish populations resulting from rising water temperatures as the cause for higher numbers of bear rampages over the past two years.

But some Haines residents aren't so quick to sweep marauding bears under the rug of climate change.

Locals say fluctuating fish populations are not unusual.

Compounding this is irresponsible trash management and nearby fish farms. The latter is something many Alaskans assert has quietly fueled this problem for years.