I think one could argue all day about which study is accurate, what statistic is correct etc. I work with numbers and statistics all day and can massage them into any interpretation you want. Speaking of statistics, more people who are out trying to enjoy the outdoors in many related sports die each year from getting lost, falling and other accidents then all the known bear attacks on record. Do a search on Google for "hiking deaths".

The simple fact of the matter is that all those studies go out the window when it comes to encounters with bears. Every bear is going to react different, every person or group is going to react different also. The foremost important thing when confronted with any wildlife encounter that may cause you or others harm is to keep your head about you by being aware of your environment beforehand and to keep your wits about you when it is most critical.

Again with this particular bear attack, none of us were there to able to accurately analyze what occurred before and after the attack etc. As I always tell people, when it comes to wilderness accidents and survival situations, it is never one mistake that is the root cause, rather a whole sequence of events that lead up to the problem.

As for the bear spray vs gun debate. I carry bear spray and that does not mean I am anti-gun in any shape or form as I do own firearms also. If I ever get in the situation of having to pull the trigger on the bear spray then perhaps I might be wishing of having a firearm instead.