>>443008I agree, I have yet to be in a scary situation with bears. That being said though, I still am very cautious when I am around them and carrying a side arm is not only good for self protection, but it is also a great noise maker.
>>443011I have only had one cougar stalk me that I am aware of and it was pretty spooky. Turned around and he was crouched down about 30 yards or so in some brush. We made eye contact and he snarled and ran off. I new something had been watching me all that morning but I never saw him until then. I come across bears quite frequently out in my neck of the woods which is in Western Oregon. A lot of the bears I come across seem to be really curious, and I've had a few end up circling back around to follow me or to watch me from a hillside. I have never really felt threatened by them but it's nice to be prepared.
