It would take me 100 years to list my encounters with the critters. I never once hunted one or had to shoot one. I have had to climb a tree when I walked between a mom and her cub ... she would have killed me if she could ... that was my worst encounter. Most of the time you yell at them , throw some sticks and they take off ... But yes that can kill you but attacks were always pretty rare in my neck of the woods .. usually again only when they have cubs. At least in Pennsylvania. Now here in western NY ... I never ran across one but they are here. I have seen many tracks but haven't see any of them.

now a grizzly ... another story entirely ... big , mean and will hunt you. I am well armed when I walk in that valley of the shadow of death