^^^^ This! Except in Yellowstone, where they ham it up by the side of the road hoping for (illegal) hand-outs. It might help that my dog is almost always with me. You would think that a 300# bear wouldn't be afraid of sweet old 85# shepherd mutt, but in 13 years that's been the case (either that or I need to change deodorant brands).

I still carry the spray, which kinda stinks because it IS expensive and has a 2-year shelf life. I wouldn't trust smaller canisters made for defense against human aggressors. Supposedly the larger cans have longer range. And as other bears might be attracted to the smell, you might need to defend against multiple targets. I figure if I'm going to spend $45 every two years and put up with the darn thing on my hip it better work if I need it.