There was a show on tv about hunters in AK who were deer hunting on /around Kodiak Island. Two hunters in two separate areas were attacked by bears. It was a bad year for the bears' normal foods and while they usually sat down next to a hunter and simply waited to feed on the guts left behind, they were starving and wanted the deer. One hunter was dressing his deer when he was attacked and defended himself with his knife. He lived, the bear was found a day or so later- dead. IIRC the other hunter didn't make it.

I have heard if you meet a bear and he comes toward you one thing you can do is hold your arms up in front of you, like a boxer guarding his face and the bear will have difficulty biting because the bear can't open his jaws wider than the length of your arm. An older native man mentioned this during an interview where he was describing surviving a bear attack (not a charging attack). He said it was something taught to him by his elders. He used it and lived to tell. This makes sense if you look at the size of a bears' mouth and if a bear can't bite it may become confused and back off. I think this man was gathering firewood very near his home when he encountered the bear and didn't have a weapon. It's been awhile since I've seen this one but I think the mans actions gave his wife a chance to shoot at-or near-the bear

Having spent a few years growing up in AK I have read and heard told many bear stories and they can be driven off, or killed easier than it might appear.