They arent so bad- we used to watch em walk right under our feet when we sat on the back deck- (It was about 12 feet high or so- so the bears wouldn’t even know we were up there unless they happened to look up and spot us)
It is a little nerve wracking hiking in bear country- I’ve run into bears a few times- they have always taken off- but they could get ugly- so it’s not a sure thing- but bear attacks are really rare really-
Sorry, I’m just not a bear person. I’ll bet you any amount of money the bears didn’t need to look up to know you were there. They knew and didn’t care is what I’m thinking.
I don’t even want to move near the Smokies anymore. Bears scare me just like alligators do. There weren’t a ton of alligators when I was growing up because they were hunted for part of that time. I think Florida should allow gators to be killed anytime without penalty. They have overrun the state. No thanks.