I've not spotted any bears in my yard yet, but my friend saw one in his yard this year, about 1 mile up the mountain. Also, there have been many seen in our town and surrounding ones. I'm sure many areas of the country have regular sightings, but I don't recall hearing about bears in Connecticut until recently.
Good luck with the bears or whatever is causing havoc in your yard, Mike. I wouldn't want to face one those furry guys up close when he's pissed off -- like if he dug one of my wife's cassaroles out of the garbage and gave it a taste.