Some of you guys are making "BLACK" bears as being bad a$$ animals. We have a bunch out here in the NW, been involved with a bunch. While they are neat to see, they're nocturnal, they're not usually that bad. I used to archery hunt a lot, ran into them from time to time, been within 20 yards a few times, give them room and they take off, sow and cubs may be a problem. I should explain I hunted western Oregon, I stalked, covered a couple of hundred yards in an hour or so, more listening and being quiet than anything else, saw lots of game. But hard to see more than a couple hundred feet off the trail. They want less to do with you than you want with them, they're a long way from being Grizzlies, which we don't have here. To make my point I been part of a camp that beat them away from our coolers with boat oars, chased them down the road out of camp, a few times i just let them have a look and they turned and walk away, never a problem, still don't concern me, except being a pest. Not trying to sound macho, just stating a fact, black bears are not dangerous most of the time, leave sows and cubs alone, and don't wound or corner one, no problems....... Most of the time.