Black bears get a bad rap, often promoted by people with personal interests. A few years ago, the Maine Professional Guides Association began a propaganda campaign about the dangers posed by black bears. They still have pages up on their web site that reposts news stories about attacks on people attributed to black bears. None of the news stories carried a Maine byline, I would assume because they couldn't find a reportable story of a black bear attack on a person in Maine.
The story behind the story had to do with a people's referendum that sought to ban the practice of baiting bears. Maine guides are paid to guide hunters, mostly from out of state, on bear hunting expeditions and, for their money, they expect to get their bear. So Maine guides will put food down for the bears in places that they have access to, encouraging the bears to visit the area often for food, much like they visit my compost area. I did not vote in favor of the bear baiting ban because it was headed by an organization that sought to ban hunting altogether, and hunting has long been a tradition in Maine. While I do no myself hunt, I recognize the value of tradition, as well as the harm in allowing the foes of hunting to have their way in anything.
Nevertheless, such scare tactics are misleading, and don't speak well of the Maine Professional Guides Association. The fact is that, in the history of Maine, there is only one documented case of a black bear causing the death of a human being. This occurred in the early 1900s. The victim was the owner of a gas station that had a caged bear on display at his establishment. He was killed when he entered the cage.
Black bears are very powerful wild animals, and wild animals can be unpredictable. Black bears have been known to attack and even kill human beings, but most attacks are from caged or pet bears. Among wild bears, attacks are rare, and they generally take place in national parks where, in a somewhat artificial environment, bears have gotten used to people. In national parks, where hunting is not permitted, bears have lost their fear of people. Plus, there is the fact that people sometimes feed bears in national parks, either intentionally or by careless camping or picnicking habits.
In areas where a bear's habitat is lost by human encroachment, bears are sometimes forced to adapt. They sometimes do this by going through people's trash or by killing chickens, pets, or other small animals. The bear that is going through your trash can at night is far dangerous than the one that may be in the woods at the same time that you are there.
Wild bear attacks on people in the wilderness are very rare indeed. Bears prefer to hide from you than attack you. Even if you should be silly enough to confront a bear in the wild, the animal is more likely to run from you. Yes, even if you were dumb enough to go near a cub, the mother is more likely to run than to defend her cubs.
Bears are individuals, however. It is impossible to predict what an individual bear might do in a specific circumstance, so it's best to announce your presence in the wilderness by making at least enough noise that you are unlikely to sneak up on a sleeping bear. This doesn't mean that you should shout, wear bells, or bang trash can covers together while walking through the forest.
It is reasonable to take reasonable precautions. Generally, I make enough noise just walking through the underbrush of the forests in Petra that I don't feel the need to make extra noise. However, when I am in the cedar swamp, I often talk to myself as I am walking along. This is because the tree canopy there is so thick that light doesn't penetrate to the forest floor, and because the ground is damp, if not outright wet, and the only things that grow there are mushrooms and moss. Neither mushrooms or moss make much noise when stepped upon, and there isn't much in the way of lower branches on these trees, walking through the cedar swamp doesn't produce much noise.
As much as I enjoy having photos and videos of the black bear on my property, I don't really want to get close enough to be holding the camera that takes the picture. I would rather that the first recorded case of a wild bear attacking someone in the wilds of Maine not have my name attached to it.
Bears; there is no reason to fear them, but you have to respect their power.