Bears have been killed by simple punches to the face. A (in)famous 19th century man would travel to homesteads as a sort of hired gun to eradicate local bears. His modus being a large knife and getting in close, no different than the large european knives for the same purpose.That bears and other species are under pressure is obvious. I just chewed on a T.V. station for airing a shark hunting contest and read the bleak projections for Polar Bear populations in 50 years. But there is hope. A local trophy bride talking on her cellphone and drinking a latte took herself,SUV and a utility pole out last night. She fortuitously left no cubs. " In the next race war I'm siding with the bears.'- John Muir