I'm assuming you could scout, no? Nothing wrong with a good stalk hunt; what you have in your favor is the fact bears have bad eyesight---and you play the wind.

Find droppings and prints; find blueberries. Go to the TOP of hollers and ridgelines (often, the higher the better); find areas with large stones, hollow trees, fallen logs, mountain laurel. Basically, find their habitat and plan to go slow and go high---playing the wind and glassing the thick stuff. I don't see why that's not as good a strategy as anything.
If nothing else, come bear opener, you'll get to go on a beautiful walk in the mountains with your gun. No wasted time, there.