I ate bear ribs at a friend's place many years ago as a teen. His father had a small orchard, and Mr. Black Bear decided to help himself to the fruit. He also got a helping of .30-cal. jacketed lead for dessert.

My only personal encounter with one was driving back roads at night. I saw a shape in my headlights ahead on the road. As I got closer, I thought at first it was a stray dog. Closer still, I could see it was the wrong size, wrong shape, and wrong gait as it scrambled off the road and I to the trees, where I could see it was definitely a black bear of modest size.

There's a reason I carry a gun in the woods.