I never saw a black bear during decades of hunting in Ohio, Indiana, NC, TN, and GA.
But a couple of years ago in N Florida, I saw one, and it scared me. I was deer gun hunting in a tree with a climbing stand, and suddenly about 40 yards to the side, a bear head popped up, sniffing, trying to find me (heavy palmetto underbrush). I didn’t think he saw me, and he immediately went back down and I couldn’t see him. I never heard him come or go. About 5 minutes later, he had circled in behind me and startled me with a loud quick challenging growl! I never heard him come in, and he was only about 20 yards from me by then! I turned in my seat (about 15 feet up, and facing the tree as I hunted the swamp beyond the tree, the direction whence the bear had come originally) and looked at him, and he looked at me, and then, poof, he was gone. I still didn’t hear him going, either! If I had been hunting, walking, relieving myself, etc. on the ground, well, that would have indeed been frightening. Was he curious, or pissed that I was in his area? I really didn’t want to discuss it with him. And btw, some really nasty boars are a danger too, on the ground in N Florida.
I really didn’t want to discuss it with him.
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Why not? Bears are well known for being quite reasonable. I learned that from watching Yogi and Boo Boo as a child.
Guard that picnic basket though.
I feel ya. Only two animals have scared me... a momma moose with a calf and a wild boar.