yup, you'd have a better chance of scaring a cat than a black bear. They're fearless around here, and popular attraction for tourists with city sightings on the rise...
We do have Bears here in TN, and I'm right at the foothills of the Smokies. Luckily have yet to see one around MY neighborhood, but they do appear in our neighboring towns.
That's scary. The largest wild predator I have to worry about is coyotes, responsible for many missing cats around our neighborhood. I feel safe though with dog out there with me who's bigger than coyotes.