Ebbie
where I lived as a kid, it was normal to encounter a black bear. Mostly you yell at them or throw a stick they run away. When I was 12 I was walking down a path in the woods and in front of me was a black bear cub. We have a technical term for it, it is called "pants poopage" I heard the growl and knew the mom was going to kill me ... she came like a bolt of lighting ... I jumped up a small tree (aspen) and climbed. She was shaking the tree, twice she tried to come up to get me but I broke off a small branch and would wack her on the face. I figured I was dead. After a very long time she left with her cub. I stayed up there until it was near dark then came down and ran home ... needed a good change of unders for sure ... the black bear around my area are normally very timid but cross a cub ... big time hurt on ya for sure.