u/spudsta

I'm not really intimidated by black bear encounters , and have been around them enough to know they are for the most part, giant racoons. That said, I saw a us forest service notice from 2018 recommending bear spray and the obvious canister while in panthertown. Are the bears in panthertown pushy enough to warrant carrying a can? Curious to hear folks thoughts on this. I don't care to carry stuff that's not needed, but if it's a case of overly tame or aggressive bears not retreating from the normal loud noise and visual cues , I would understand the need. Please advise if you backpack there much.