Abstract Minimizing conflicts with humans is a necessary component of the management of American black bears (Ursus americanus) across most of their range. The number of complaints about conflicts with black bears is commonly used to infer trends in the actual frequency or severity of human–bear conflict, and even trends in bear population size. However, the number of complaints received by management agencies is a function of both the frequency of and the reporting rate for conflicts, and the reporting rate may change over time. We tested for effects of food availability, numbers of bears harvested, and management regime changes on 3 measures of human–bear conflict: (1) public complaints, (2) traps set to capture bears involved in conflicts, and (3) bears killed in defense of property in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, 1992–2008. All measures of human–bear conflict were inversely related to food availability. Complaints increased following a controversial change in management (cancellation of the spring hu...