Not sure how many of you folks are hunters but it seems many guys here with advice about black bears are not fully understanding the nature of these beasts. A mature adult , healthy, well fed black bear will steer clear of you in most cases providing you don't surprise it, however, 2 to 3 year old male bears are extremely unpredictable for many reasons and will become predatious towards humans. Never assume ANY bear will run away because it is afraid of humans. In the past, hunting has taught bears to fear humans and each momma bear will pass this on to thier young, however, with hunting bears becoming "socially taboo" many hunters have stopped bear hunting, thus the fear of humans is not instilled upon the young bears. In areas where human/bear contact is very low, you will be viewed as prey by a bear and it is your behavior that will tell the bear you are not food. There are several books about bear encounters that teach us that. I am no expert in bear behavior but I have encountered enough to tell you this, I have met a few bears that i was convinced thought i was food, and they took thier time assessing and sizing me up. If a bear sees you at a distance and stealthily makes it's way to you, which they will do by circling into the wind, they are seeing you as possible prey. Close encounters where bears and humans "happen" upon each other in sudden circumstances cause the bear to suddenly have the "fight or flight" behavior. This is where quality bear spray is the most effective. I have been charged by a 2 year old male bear and when he got to about 30 feet i emptied the can of spray on him. He had been feeding on a gut pile left from a hunter and was not going to have his dinner taken or interupted by anything or anyone. You just never know what circumstances you will find yourself in when encountering bears. Take the precautions, it may save you from a desperate situation. It is FOOLISH to assume that you are only in real danger if you encounter a momma and her cubs, the times when i thought i was in REAL danger have been from adolescent male bears.