Yep, exciting is a good word for it, @ksteem! I'm not sure if there are fewer hunters here (we have a number who still show up here every year, as our landlord is one of a handful in our neighborhood who allows it), and a far as I know, it's legal to kill a bear on your NH property if it's become a nuisance regardless of the time of year.
That being said, we've been hearing more and more reports of bears roaming through yards, getting into feeders & trash and it seems most just notify Fish & Games and/or the police, which might be why they're continuing to get so bold. And that being said, I can also see why someone might not want to try to shoot a bear in a residential neighborhood, so not sure what the best solution would be.
And we're doing the same with the stop, look, and listen every time we walk out of the house...lol! As well as taking our dog out at night in pairs - we figure during the day, with how wide open the yard is, it's easier to spot an approaching bear, but when it's dark we have one with the dog, and one shining the flashlight everywhere. 😅
Hehe, very similar actions with the flashlight at night. That's actually what got me "addicted" to the new O-lights. I started looking for a light for my pistol, then a better one than I had to walk around with, then a better one for searching, then a couple little safe/closet lights, then a few as gifts, lol you get the idea. Anyway if you're looking for a nice compact super-bright rechargeable light, or a bigger turn the night into daytime light, they have a great selection. My favorite's are the Seeker Pro, WarriorX Pro. or to really light it up the Marauder. And of course excellent Baldr pistol light and Odin rifle light... that's just a few. I'll do a right up after we move with some comparisons.