Easy there tiger, I like the way you jump out of the gate but your question is like asking "what is the meaning of life?"
Give as much info where you are hunting as possible (ie. state/provence, baiting or hound options etc)

I will be hunting in Oregon and you cannot use bait or hounds

Well being an east coast guy I dont know how much help I will be? Here in upstate NY we can not use bait or dogs ether.
So it is all about natural food sources. For bears (expt during mating season) it is all about food esp before den up in the winter.
Where I hunt I stay low early season where the berries and black cherrys are ripe. Later in the season as it gets colder the beech nuts up on the mountions and ridges start to drop and the bears will move higher to feed on them.
ADKBear

ADKBEAR,

I would have to agree with you about bear's natural foods especially anything sweet,they love sweet food stuffs ! If there are any swamps with thick growth in the area where the natural foods are,find a bear trail,look for fresh
bear scat (Sh-t) if you can get down wind from the trail just as it enters the opening set up your ground blind or tree stand where you can get a good placement shot.This being behind the foreshoulder when he moves leg ahead
exposing his entire boiler room (deadly shot) he won't go more then 50 yrds
then if you placed the shot as above you'll hear some blats come out of him up to 5 blats normally.It will sound like a cow blatting and yes it will raise the hairs on your neck but you'll know he is dead when you get to him ! Never failed yet and I've been huntin bears for many years,Good luck, Remember be as quiet as you can,these critters stay alive by NOSE,EARS, eye sight not that hot but still can see

spot and stalk is probley how you will have to do it. the bear will always know you are there. look for natural food source berries,acorns,swampy areas,tall grass,bee hives and look for bear signs rubs, scrapes, hair on trees.bears like to scratch a lot and look for scat and find out what they are eating.

I am in the same boat first year hunting black bear in Oregon. With no dogs or bait what do you guys think of calling? Can you give us rookies any tips other than staying down wind? Thanks for the help you guys have no idea how much it helps.