they also won't kill you for food. they will kill you if you get between them and their food, however. black bears are omnivores & opportunistic eaters, but primarily eat berries, plants, and bugs/grubs. they'll also scavenge the remains of other animals & (much less often) hunt small animals like squirrels, chipmunks, mice, etc.

When I was a kid, we had a black bear in our yard & my dog (a german shepherd) freaked the fuck out, somehow got outside, ran up to the bear barking at it, and then nipped it in the leg. I thought for sure the bear was going to kill her, but it scurried off instead.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5742037&forum_id=2...id#49043587)