My brother-in-law, who in stark contrast to my urbanised/wussified self has actually spent years working in the forest, says he only ever had one "bad bear encounter." He tells me it was a juvenile male throwing its weight around, bluff-charging at them repeatedly. Bro says he and his mate basically made themselves big, yelled and screamed at it, swung their hatchets when it got too close.
Me, I occasionally encounter geckos (shudder!)