Are you afraid of black bears?

[coachcw]

only the ones with sika gear in there crap !

[bullchaser]

Worried the Sh$!!1 out of me when this little one came in my tent. Thats the back of the tent.

[Alchase]

I was never scared of black bears even with a few very close calls with popping and chomping. I just took that as I was not respecting their comfort zone, lol.
Then I watched a special on "Predatory black bears" that was on TV about 10 years ago. They had actual footage of how a predatory black bear behaves! That really opened my eyes. The dang things just won't quit until they eat you or you kill them. They said they are 1/1000 so I may never come across a bear like that. I will always remember the look in the eyes of the predatory bears they showed. They all had the "I'm going to eat you, and there is nothing you can do about it" look, lol.
I also saw a smaller black bear shot in the heart, but it took it a while to die. In that time it proceeded to tear up every huck and salal bush and snap off tons of alders within a 20 yard radius before he finally died. The damage was impressive! I darn sure would not have liked to be within his sight during that maelstrom.
I think they are awesome animals that deserve our respect.

[woodman]

Sometimes in the middle of the night I get the creeps but most of my hunting is done alone.  Lots of calling.  Walking hours and hours in the dark and naps against a stumps and I never even think about bears or cats.

Kain, I was napping against a stump a few years ago and a very large cougar came to me. I truly believe it was my steady snoring that called it in. I had to kill it within 30' of me.

[Huntboy]

I respect them and what they are capable of....

Fear them?  Nope..

[Kain]

Sometimes in the middle of the night I get the creeps but most of my hunting is done alone.  Lots of calling.  Walking hours and hours in the dark and naps against a stumps and I never even think about bears or cats.

Kain, I was napping against a stump a few years ago and a very large cougar came to me. I truly believe it was my steady snoring that called it in. I had to kill it within 30' of me.

See that sounds like a good thing to me.     Never said I was very smart.  *adds snoring to e-caller* 

[carpsniperg2]

Afraid? Well yes and no. In a normal situation I am not worried about them and do not fear them. There is a couple of time when I have got into tuff spots with them. One just 10 days ago. They more make me worry some about my saftey but am I affraid of the animal? no. Am I affraid of what the animal can do in a tight spot yes!

[h20hunter]

Like most of you yes and know. I agree with Carp.

[JimmyHoffa]

Black bears don't really bother me awake.  Trying to sleep, I wonder about one trying to get in the tent/bivy for food.  Even walking around in the dark I'm not concerned...cougars are a different story.  For the bears, mostly it is due to their size/strength.  If a bear jumped on the tent it would suck compared to a 100 pound cougar. 

[boneaddict]

Respect, not afraid of

[Pathfinder101]

The only agressive bear I have ever encountered was one that my buddy shot while we were grouse hunting when I was 18.  The bear ran in front of us, I grabbed the dog, my buddy put a slug in his shotgun and shot the bear in the throat.  The bear flopped over, rolled down the hill towards us and lay still.  I let go of the dog, who ran up to the "dead" bear and started barking like a maniac.  The bear sat up on his haunches and started growling and swatting at the dog.  I grabbed the dog, my buddy loaded another slug and shot the bear again.  Since then, I have been leary whenever I walk up to a "dead" bear. 
That being said, I have never had a bear act aggressively towards me otherwise.  I don't much worry about them. 
Cougars are a little different story though.  Walking back to camp in the pitch dark under trees with thick limbs gives me the heebie-jeebies...

[NWWABOWHNTR]

No but sure do respect the heck out of them,.... Killed a big chocolate in Idaho back in the early 90's... of course it slid all the way down to a creek bed, about 600 foot down.  SO I slide on my butt down to it... now I have my 357 in the holster and its laying motionless, so no worries.  I get to my feet and look around... no blood.  Hmmmm... poke it with a big stick... its dead.  Cool, grab my knife out of the backpack, grab a front paw to roll it over... and out of the corner of my eye I see the other paw come swinging at me.  Yep... screamed like a little girl.... guys up on the ridge yelled down to make sure I was ok... thank god I carry TP in the backpack.  Bear was dead as can be, but sure got me going.... LOL  I now approach a downed bear very cautiously,  seen to many of "That bear has to be dead" and crawled through thick stuff to find it really pissed off...

[washelkhunter]

Black bears dont concern me much; but those cracker bears! Cant trust em.

[gaddy]

Bearbaito6, would love to hear that story.
my only incounter with a bear was at 10'- 06 below the left eye & through the brain. after it rolled backwards it took off. glad it went the other direction because it had enough left to tear me & my bud up. took 2 more to put it down.
the scarry part is how quite they are. they are just there.
my main worry is getting between momma & cubs.

[KFhunter]

Only time I got a little worried was when I was about 14 years old and my brother put me in a tree stand over a bear bait station - then left my ass there WAY past dark. 
 
Then all the bears came in, hell I couldn't see my nose it was so black under that thick cedar canopy and no moon and no flashlight. 
One came up my tree, I could hear it and feel the vibrations as it clawed its way up towards me - but I couldn't see it.
 
I counted 3-4 bears under me cracking bushes and sniffing around and running each other off - few huffs and jaw pops and such. 
 
 
then finally I hear the truck horn out on the gravel road a good 100 yards from the bear bait - I fired off a shot in the air to scatter the bears then walked that long black walk to the truck.
 
 
Still not scared of them, but I'll keep one hand near my gun if they don't run off when they should