Brown bear stopped by 11 year old boy.
http://juneauempire.com/news/2017-06-30/armed-11-year-old-boy-saves-fishing-party-charging-bear



Woman and dogs hospitalized by black bear in Idaho.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/jul/04/reported-bear-attack-forces-closure-of-priest-lake/



Runner killed by black bear
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morn...m=.34b16eb38bc6



Environmentalist killed by black bear. "The bear crept up on Trainor from behind, pounced, knocked her down and then went for Johnson, her employer said. Trainor was able to get out a canister of spray she had in a pouch on her belt and sprayed the bear, but she could not save Johnson, a young woman married only two weeks earlier.

The attack raised serious questions about the efficacy of pepper spray on black bear and with Johnson dead others were emerging to talk about failures they’d suffered when spraying the smallest of Alaska’s three bear species."
https://craigmedred.news/2017/06/23/alaska-bear-fears/

Pretty scary! Especially a related story that describes several black bears that shrugged off the spray and continued to attack. I'm planning a camping trip to Montana in a couple weeks and I'm a a little concerned; the largest sidearm I have is a 9mm, a bit small for ol'Grizz.

I'm a big fan of avoiding the bears. If that doesn't work, handguns are a very last resort.

For cartridges that are unlikely to immediately stop a bear, including any handgun, my hope would be to have the time to convince the bear that I am not food, perhaps by firing the pistol into the ground nearby. If I have to shoot at a bear with a 9mm pistol, I'd expect to attempt headshots at the fastest speed I could make hits until one of us stopped. I'm very good with a handgun but a 9mm against even a small black bear is desperate straights indeed.

Head shots would be next to useless. Try hitting either shoulder. That will slow him down big time.

I am not sure of the point of the original post - spray is not, and never has been, considered a perfect solution to bear attacks. Nor, for that matter, are firearms. Both have advantages and drawbacks. Camp cleanliness and isolation of bear attractants is important as well.

And sometimes, stuff happens. We could always stay home,, but that isn't a good idea, either.....

The idaho bear is still on the hunt for tasty humans or dogs.

http://www.khq.com/story/35820522/authorities-investigating-second-bear-encounter-near-priest-lake

Is it indeed the same bear?

My SD Enhanced Permit is honored in WY, MT and ID so I will certainly be taking my CCW (generally an HK P2000 in 9mm), but I may opt for the VP9 or P30S this time. I'm on the fence as to whether to get a heavier caliber sidearm; on the one hand as unlikely as a bear attack is it would be nice to have a bit more gun, but again, given the low odds I also hate to drop $700 on a S&W Model 69 that I will probably never need again.

Bear spray is a given! I will plan on getting bear spray for me and for my brother. He doesn't have a CCW, isn't interested enough in it to bother. In MT it doesn't sound like he would need a permit, they have "Constitutional carry" there. Of course I'd check the laws more carefully before I go but if that's the case I could lend him one of my 9mms just to have something on him. A 9mm is too small for large bears but I do know of cases where charging Grizzlies have been killed by handguns in 9mm! Certainly it would be better than nothing if the bear spray fails.

Ah, the seasonal debate is back.

There have been several serious bear interactions on this side of the border as well. Humans go into bear territory at this time of year, and on the rare occasions where nothing goes right, they (and the bear) make the news.

As far as is humanly possible, the first defence is prevention, prevention, prevention. This is not completely foolproof (things happen), but it has a high enough record of success that you would bet real money on it and expect a payoff if you were a serious gambler.

Last ditch efforts, spray and firearm at close range, are never completely reliable; too many variables. Placed in that situation, you do what you can with what you have.

I'll definitely be using my head (eg storing food away from camp, not cooking or sleeping in the close I cooked in, etc). But since this is a forum about being prepared for survival in any situation I figure there's no reason not to have a firearm. Better to have and not need...