From the mountains of Maryland to the swamps of Florida to the snowy peaks of the U.S. West, bears are making a comeback.

Thanks to regulated hunting and more habitat, "there's a pretty dramatic increase in bear populations across the U.S., and people are going to be encountering bears more and more," says Dave Garshelis, bear project leader at the Minnesota Department of
 Natural Resources. (Related: "Black Bears Are Rebounding—What Does That Mean For People?")

In August, a grizzly bear killed a hiker in Yellowstone National Park—a tragic yet extremely rare event, experts say. The chances of being injured by a bear are approximately 1 in 2.1 million, according to the National Park Service. In other words, you're