Local advocates for more black bear support, research

CODY — Black bears have been a source of passion for Joe Kondelis Jr. ever since he started hunting the species.

“The species drove me to want to know more,” he said. “I didn’t know a lot about it and I found it really interesting; no one taught a lot about bear hunting and biology.”

Kondelis is president and one of the founders of the Western Bear Foundation, an all-volunteer nonprofit officially started in 2010, dedicated to the protection and development of bears, bear habitat and bear hunting in the United States. He said their goal is to advocate for the conservation of the...