The big difference seems to be grizzly bears.
Black bears kill about the same number of people as grizzlys, but there are many times as many black bears as grizzly bears.
In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) there are about 690 grizzly bears. In 2017, 35 were killed either in direct self-defense (19) or by game management after they were found to be a direct threat to human life and property.
In one year, one of twenty grizzlys had to be killed as direct threats to human life and property.
Black bears seem to learn to avoid humans, given plenty of hunting pressure.
In my experience, You are correct! I’ve spent many weeks on the Yukon River alone in each of the past seven years.
I’m always armed to the teeth for bears AND humans but the bears have left me completely alone despite hundreds of hours of me being in their backyard.
Last year, I finally saw three of the little critters about a mile off. I put my binoculars on them and got a good look at them. But, when we got about a half mile off, they took off into the woods.
So, YES you have to be careful. But, I’ve slept alone on a Yukon River bank many, many nights and I’ve not been bothered by them. By the way, the Fish and Game folks in Alaska quote that there are 17,000 bears in the Yukon watershed in Alaska.