I've heard that the amount of houses and hearthfires placed in general proximity of one another will reduce the wilderness level. Unfortunately, despite myself and a handful of others working towards making a village, level X bears are still a way of life. Expanding my claim's greatly helped in reducing the suprise ambushes right outside my house, but still leaves me wanting for hide.
Does it just take time to lower the wilderness level? Or do you need a population in the double digits to lower it to where bears won't be as big a problem?