Crazy! We don't have fleas and ticks either.
Bears here are best avoided! It's a good practice to speak loudly and make as much noise as you can when walking in the woods. If you get too close and surprise a bear, a couple of inches on the length of the barrel on your pistol, as you unholster, can make the difference of getting off a shot or getting mauled and getting buried for a midnight snack. Those brownies are lightning fast and can plow right through brush and small trees.
It's not like there's one hiding behind every tree, though. A person is more likely to get mugged in the city than eaten in the woods.