On my first trip into the Brooks Range my Pilot told me not to worry much about the bears up there, hadn't been an attack in 15+ years that he knew of, by a Griz at least.
Two weeks before my 3rd trip (5 in a row 02-06) A couple from Anchorage was killed on the HulaHula, just a few drainages away from my put in. He had known them 20 years. When he picked me up he said one of his long time customers, a guy that hikes ANWR for 60+days every year and was to pick up three days before me, had been mauled 3 days from trips end. The Griz he surprised took a chunk of thigh before he got to spray it. The bear fled and he was able to get the State Troopers via Sat. Phone. He was just a few miles from the Dalton hwy.
He was sure glad to see me A-OK. Saw 2-3 bears on each of trips 2-5. Most ran at the sight/smell of me. Especially the one that caught me peeing....I wont say/brag what really scared that one..

Needless to say my Pilot was pretty rattled to have had 3 long time customers attacked with two killed and fed on in the space of a month.