The Nevada Department of Wildlife dispatch is so inundated with bear calls from the Virginia City Highlands, Gardnerville and Galena Forest areas that staff biologist Carl Lackey is asking the public for help.
The real issue is that humans continue to leave unattended garbage and other enticing things out that attract the wild bears into neighborhoods.
"Seeing a bear tipping over garbage cans and drinking out of a horse tank is not an imminent threat," said the weary biologist. "I simply cannot respond to these lower priority calls. In fact, do not even call us if it is simply an issue of bears and trash. Be responsible and use bear-resistant containers and the bear will disappear."
Some residents in the Virginia City Highlands have threatened to shoot a bear that is getting into garbage there.
Under Nevada state law black bears are a protected game species. It is illegal to kill a bear unless you or your livestock are imminently threatened.