If you are concerned about encountering a black bear in the forest, then you can simply make a little bit of noise while you're walking through the woods. For myself, I find in the very act of walking through the woods I generally make enough noise not to have worry much about sneaking up on a bear. When in the cedar swamp, where the ground is cushioned by moss, I sometimes talk to myself so as not to walk up on a bear unaware. That is probably an overabundance of caution.