Reminds me of fishing in the river south of Sandspit on QCI, where you're fishing right beside black bears (Largest in the world), yet they really don't bother you at all. (Near the hatchery.). If they get too nosey you poke your fishing rod at them. Usually as long as there's a good food source, and you don't get between the bears and the fish, or a mom and her cubs you're pretty much ok in the right circumstances.