Yes, I haqve had the same thing happen to me with a couple black bears in central wisconsin, what you explained with the sow, is a common thing for a black bear to do. Chances are a black bear will not attack unless otherwise provoked or if she thinks her cubs are in any type of danger. They will get up on their hind feet and smell the air and pop their jaws. This is a curiosity stance. Do not be threatend by it. Just make your self look bigger than you are and speak in a firm voice so the bear knows youre a human. Bears are pretty much blind and normally want to have no human interaction. If for some reason a bear would come after you, dont try to run, many bears can run faster than you, all yo uneed to do is be faster than the guy in front of you....hehe a little humor. What you really do is defend yourself. Hit it with anything you can find, or better yet be likeme and carry a.44 mag as a side arm or self defense wepaon. I do not trust the black bear pepper sprays, the bears already blind enough, i think making it even more blind and cuttoing off its oxygen would be a tad bit on thecruel side. I would only shoot a black bear ifI knewmy life was indanger or if i draw a bear kill tag.