Jay Honeyman evaluated the effectiveness of aversive conditioning (AC) as a non-lethal management technique to reduce bear-human conflict, and ultimately reduce bear mortality. He  found a decrease in developed site use by radio-collared grizzly bears in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park (PLPP) after the onset of AC. Also, wariness of collared bears increased with application of AC, both short-term and long-term. Wariness of non-collared grizzly bears also increased after application of AC. Grizzly bear mortality and relocation rates in the period after AC began decreased by half within PLPP, while at the same time increasing five-fold on adjacent lands where AC was not a commonly used tool. Finally, there was a decrease in the number of bear-related facility management actions after the onset of AC. The conclusion? AC is an effective management tool to reduce human conflicts with grizzly bears and promote bear population stability.

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