Yeah, from what I've read of your travels bears do really like to hang out with you.

I've only encountered 2 bears in all my wonderings. One was in Sequoia NP, it was walking away from me when I spotted it. I spent a lot more time in Sequoia NF and never saw one there. Most of my time there was spent off trail in the forested areas, I rarely got above 9000 ft there so I never got a lot views with any distance. I didn't really look for game trails back then, and I'm sure made a lot of noise too. Probably just dumb luck I didn't see or encounter more.

But here, where I've spent way more time off trail and nights out while bushwhacking far from trails and campsites, I've never had a bear approach my campsite. Now I purposely make noise while bushwhacking to give them plenty of warning that I'm there, but I just hang my food in a bag about 100 feet from where I sleep. I've never been able to convince myself a bear can't get it though.

I think in the case of bears illegally immigrating here from Mexico I might be more cautious than I feel the need to be here. If they're coming into Texas looking for food than they may be more inclined to risk an encounter with humans. If, however, they're getting fat and happy living of the land there, you'd probably be hard pressed to ever see one.

What we have to consider here is that Texas is mighty big, and most of it is privately owned. It wasn't that long ago that there weren't any bears at all there. None. Even now it'd take an invasion of bears and a few more decades to make encounters common on public land there. Before you ever get to the point where that happens Texas will create a hunting season for them.

I really don't think you have a thing to worry about.