FLORENCE — Human feeding of bears and a suspected poor berry crop are blamed for the worst-ever year for bear damage in the Florence and Yachats area in memory.

Within the past week, six bears have been killed in the area, bringing the year’s total to 12.

Four of the bears were public safety risks due to their behavior — one broke through a kitchen window looking for food and another charged growing and snarling into a backyard toward a homeowner. The other two bears killed tried to break into the same goat pen where a goat was killed last week.

All bears killed were repeatedly seen in the daytime and did not show wariness of people, indications that they had come to associate people with food and were now habituated. While attacks are rare, habituated bears are often the ones involved in attacks on people, according to the ODFW.

District wildlife biologist Doug Cottam believes the rise in conflict is partly due to a poor or simply late berry crop this year. The bears killed are young males likely competing with dominant, older males for food.

“The younger hungry males are wandering back into residential areas for food, and they are finding it at places like birdfeeders,” said Cottam. “Remember the right thing to do is to leave bears wild. They must learn to rely on natural food sources.”

ODFW is extremely concerned about public safety in the mid-coast area and offers the following guidelines on what to do if you encounter a bear:

• Give any bear you see a way to escape. Step off the trail or road and slowly walk away.

• If you see bear cubs, steer clear and leave the area.

• If you encounter a bear, stay calm. Do not run or make sudden movements. Back away slowly as you face the bear.

• Avoid direct eye contact with the bear.

• If you are attacked, fight back. Shout, be aggressive, use rocks, sticks and hands to fend off an attack.