Bear year

Is it just me or are there more bear issues this year? We have had 2 fatal mauling's this year in Alaska and it seems like a lot more incidents. Valdez is a pretty bear friendly place and most people know what to do as far as food and garbage storage and there are usually not a lot of issues. I just read our local paper and at least a third of the police blotter was about bears. A friend of ours just lost some chickens after a brown bear came over their electric fence. I dunno maybe last winter was too mild and allowed higher survival rates and now there is not enough forage. if that is the case the fish are running now and there should be plenty. My wife has family in Ohio and they are seeing black bears there, i think this is unusual (?). 

Anybody else been noticing any changes?