Agreed: anything that avoids an encounter is the easiest and most efficient course.

I have no absolute opinions about last-ditch defensive tools; that is determined by the individual's preferences and the laws of the jurisdiction in question.

Perhaps it is worth mentioning the well-documented occurrence of "false charges," where a bear makes a charge that is a defensive bluff, an intimidation tactic, and then veers off at the last moment. I am not sure an underpowered firearm would be your friend in that situation: once wounded, a bear would not veer off. The deliberate near-miss noisemaker/popgun could still be a useful deterrent though.

The 11 year old used a load of birdshot as a deterrent for the grizzly charge. Which didn't work. Sounds like it is something they use in that area otherwise.

No single answer it seems. Some evidence that fighting back in any way for predatory black bear. So underpowered weapons like sticks, birdshot, small caliber guns, rocks etc. may be useful.

You don't have to be faster than the bear, only faster than your hiking buddy!

Which buddy?













Mother? Father? Sister? Brother? Wife? Son? Daughter? ...

Preferably one who:
a) actually runs slower than you
b) is not really important to you, you might loose a friend whether the bear gets them or not
c) is a good sidekick when it comes to provide some entertainment
puppeteer bear (don´t follow the link if black humor is not your thing)

Definitely DO NOT try this at home:

Professional Marathon runner outruns 2 black bears in Maine:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/professional-runner-outruns-black-bears-maine/story?id=48495852

Do put bear attacks in perspective. You are much more likely to suffer an injury/fatality from falls, drowning, or motor vehicle accidents than from a bear attack. In a typical year, honey bees kill more people than bears. overall, bear attacks are unusual, which is why they are reported in thee media....

+1. All of my near-death experiences have been during the drive out to wilderness areas, not walking in them.

A geocacher in central Alberta had an encounter with a grizzly. He was able to extricate himself from the situation and drive himself to the nearest hamlet.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/water-valley-bear-attack-1.4188285

I visited the website of the probable cache he was looking for - just off a remote road on the edge of the foothill terrain. Another cache in the immediate vicinity strongly promotes the idea of going in groups with the right protection (bear spray in this case) because the area is so remote.

From a statistical POV and living in an urban environment, I would agree with you. But when you are in bear country, you odds go way up.