bear in mind

Bear in mind that we are in bear country and that we are their guests. We don't rule; They do.
This is their soil, and we are only here to visit.

Over the course of the years I've seen a lot of bears. Close by, very close. Most likely far too close for those who are familiar with these 1500LBS creatures. Yes, they look 'cute' but 'bear' in mind that they climb trees better than you and I do, and that they run faster than any human being. In other words, if you are involved in a bear attack, running away or climbing a tree is pretty useless, although it probably is the first thing that occurs to you is to run away...

I talk to them when I come across bears; whole conversations. I'm not surprised to see a bear, because I look for them, so when I see a bear, I'm not surprised and don't act as such.
A while ago I walked upstream a small river in Ketchikan. For 20 minutes in freezing cold water till I saw two big brown bears. I started my usual bear conversation, took my camera, shot 400 photos until they looked me in the eyes for a few seconds and than left. I thanked them and they just left. No agression but I assume respect from both sides. Again, this is their soil and we're their guests so thanking a bear is important to me.
I know it sounds a bit over-the-top but I'm convinced that this is one of the reasons that I haven't been attacked so far.

Do not go out on your own. Believe me, it's better to go on an excursion. The likelyhood of seeing bears in the wild is smaller than going on a guided excursion. These folks know what they're doing. Don't go out on your own if you don't know the area. you might get lost and the chance to see bears is small. I've only see bears because I've been here so often. The times I went on excursions, I've always seen bears.
in short: If you want to see bears, book an excursion