Looking forward to the return, Sid! Given where you live, I figured you might appreciate this story. I have several bird feeders up in the back yard - have had for at least five years. Our yard butts up to a golf course, and across the golf course is a large, permanent greenbelt - plus although I guess we're kind of 'suburbia' here, it's a Pacific NW suburbia. Tons of trees, deer, bobcat, cougar and bear are always around in the woods (plus a herd of about 400 elk only a few miles from here). Anyway, I'd never had issues with feeders except twice with a racoon, and I figured out baffles to defeat the squirrels and coons.
But a couple nights ago I was working on the computer at the kitchen table and heard a loud CRASSSSHHHHHH! out back. Grabbed the flashlight, opened the door, walked out on the steps and the flashlight shone on a BIG (350-400 pounds easily, and I'm used to estimating weight of wildlife, not overestimating like so many do) black bear stuffing his face with suet from my suet feeder. He had snapped off the metal pole on which my feeders were mounted, about as easily as I would break a twig. We were both equally startled to see each other and he ran off (reinforcing with me how hopeless it would ever be to try to outrun one of these guys - they are FAST). As I expected, he came back about a half hour later so I was waiting and threw a rock and scared him again - this time he ran off with the suet feeder in his mouth, so I have to buy a new one...! So now, until I'm sure they're hibernating for the season, the suet and sunflower seed feeders come into the garage every night. And I take a flashlight and make a lot of noise when I take the dogs out at night for their potty break walks...! At least here we don't have grizzlies to worry about like you do.