Black bears have become common with around 40 miles as the crow flies from Manhattan. Predictably, a hiker was run down and killed by in NJ by a large male bear a few years back, and nuisance bears are now a given around the Delaware Water Gap and the West Point area. We’re just talking black bears here, hundreds of encounters, very rare attacks.

But, the thought of having to hike disarmed in New York State sorta sucked the joy out of the concept; every time I encountered a bear the bear would get to call the shots. Then I think of people sharing the woods with friggin grizzlies eek

Someone mentioned mountain men. I dunno if grizzlies were actually more aggressive back then. Consider the abundance of grizzlies and then consider the abundance of food odors around any sort of Indian camp. No bear bags in trees, no elaborate precautions. One wonders how they managed to sleep nights.

Some guys proactively took the war over to the grizzlies, traditionally by combat rather than assassination, picking fights with them to collect the claws. IIRC the mortality rate on both sides was about 50%. The Sauk Fox leader Black Hawk from Illinois did this twice as a young man, having to sneak through the territory of the enemy Pawnee (whole magnitudes more dangerous than even grizzlies) coming and going to get to griz territory, going out alone each time, months afield.

I suspect humans were very much a rival apex predator back then, and bears had reason to avoid us. At the very least they were subject to unprovoked attack and serious injury or death when around humans. For today’s grizzlies, not so much.

"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744