Just as I had expected, there was a black bear standing not 10 feet away. Seventeen years of hunting sheep have educated me on the gear and food I need for a mountain hunt. I’d brought only seven and a half days of food, and we were at the end of day eight. “Black bear,” I said, relieved that at least it wasn’t grizzlies stumbling across the tent every few hours. Still, a curious black bear can—at the very least—damage critical gear or tear up a tent.