Good stuff. One of the most important things to learn is to look for bear sign; scat, foot prints, fur on plants, etc. Also, bears have a pretty distinctive, musky scent that tends to hang in the air after they have passed. If you can smell it, you're probably in the wrong area. A lot of the attacks we've had up here in Alaska have happened because people surprised the bear; one of the keys to avoid this is to make a lot of noise or wear bear bells when you're out in the bush.