JACKSON - Bears in Teton County have mostly stayed out of trouble this summer and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department says an abundant berry crop probably deserves the credit.

Last year was a record year for bear-human conflicts in Teton County. Wildlife managers responded to about 200 reported conflicts from spring 2007 to the start of hibernation in December. Officials say last year's unusually dry spring and summer led to the spike in conflicts.

Mark Bruscino, supervisor of the game department's bear management program, said there have only been about 20 reported bear conflicts this year.

"Jackson's been quiet," Bruscino said. "We would attribute it to a good berry crop this year. That should help them build a lot of energy reserves for the rest of they year. Hopefully, they'll have good reserves after the berries are gone."

Nonetheless, Bruscino said the whitebark pine seed crop is expected to be low this year. Whitebark pine seeds are an important late-year food source for both black bears and grizzlies in higher elevation areas.

"The pine nut crop looks pretty poor this year," he said. But he said that bears may be able to turn to other foods as they head into winter.

"We don't know what effect (the shortage of whitebark pine seeds) is going to have," Bruscino said. "Bears food-switch pretty easily."

There is a strong correlation between poor whitebark pine seed crops and fall bear conflicts, Bruscino said. He said hunters should use caution when storing food in camp and when handling a carcass.

"When white bark pine is not abundant, studies have shown that (bears) usually switch to meat," Bruscino said. "The message to hunters is to not only to keep clean camps, but to also be careful around carcasses and get them out as quickly as possible. Take someone with you to pack out your game if you do leave it overnight."

Conflicts with bears have also decreased in Grand Teton National Park this year. Spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said the park has had only one serious incident this year. A female black bear was captured and euthanized after raiding campgrounds around Colter Bay.

Skaggs said a new "wildlife brigade" - a group of 12 staff and volunteers - has worked to educate visitors about food storage regulations and other bear-safety issues.

"Happily our wildlife brigade has really kept bear conflicts down," Skaggs said. "We have lots of reports of people coming up on bears on trails. There's been no concerns about aggressive behavior. We haven't had to do aversion conditioning on any of these bears. We've been able to manage people."