Not sure what else the guy could have done for this incident. He got a passing grade (i.e. he lived to tell about it).

A radio remote control for the car locks would have been handy - if they were not buried deep in a pocket somewhere.

The right handgun might have helped but only if he was very comfortable with it and had lots and lots of practice, on moving targets, while running. Remember most handgun shootings occur at very close ranges and hitting the target on an adrenaline high is a lot harder than it really ought to be. A handgun could also have made things worse if he was carrying too small and/or just wounded the bear enough to make it mad.

A buddy along to distract the bear might have helped, especially if your buddy moves slower than you do.

Much Much better situational awareness. The pictures don't tell the whole story, like how did this little game of hide and seek start?

- Eric