My grandfather always said a bear acted like a cross between a wild hog and a dog. Nasty, stinking creatures. You can smell them when they are nearby. His affinity for them peaked every August. Just when his apples were ripening up, they would climb his trees and tear them all to hell. He would complain and cuss about them, but he never had an inclination to shoot one. He figured they were there first and were given a pass. We have seen a large increase over the past twenty years. If you all will remember, large sections of the Southern Appalachians burned in the fall of 2016. Overall, this was great for the woods. I suspect all of the new understory grow has enhanced their food supply. The fires themselves probably forced some bears to find new home ranges and they adapted and liked what they found.