I have had a lot of bear contacts during my years in NH, and the bottom line is that they do need to be respected as very powerful animals, but using common sense there is no need to fear them. While living in a remote bit of waterfront on the Contoocook River I had my first close up contacts. I was driving down my lonf right of way road toward my home when I spotted what I thought were my neighbors 3 large mastiffs about 500' feet in front of me ...and then Momma stood up on her hind legs. I shut my truck down and put it into neutral hoping to get a closer look but never saw a thing. I walked up to the encounter spot the following day and could see where Momma bear had hustled her cubs off behind a thicket while they watched me. Her numerous paw prints showed that she was nervous and you could see where she had been pacing in place.
My neighbor Dennis however was not so lucky. He was walking his Mastiffs down my road later on the same week and came across Momma and the two cubs. The dogs quite naturally enough gave chase and got between the Momma and her cubs and Momma gave one a swipe in defense and laying that very large dog wide open and sending it 15 ' through the air according to Dennis. The dog lived, but it cost Dennis a small fortune in vet billings.
I also initially tried to feed birds in that same spot, but gave that up after I had a bear bend a 2" steel fence pipe anchored three feet into the ground. These are incredibly powerful animals and deserve full respect.
And yes, even black bears will eat humans ...but only the stupid ones (Darwinism at its best!). For a really amusing history on this pick up a book called "A Bear Walks into A Libertarian". Its mainly a history about the NH town of Grafton, a hotspot for fringe minded people and politics, but also a town the has the dubious honor of having the most people killed by bears.
Leave the bears alone and admire them for a distance, but don't fear them. You're far more likely to be injured by that jerk driving while playing with their "smart" phone than BooBoo
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