I wonder whether animal behavior is a factor here. Perhaps it's much worse for a bear to get its sinus, eyes, nose, lungs, etc. irritated, than to be shot? Or perhaps wounding a bear, even fatally, doesn't it make it want to fight less, but irritating the respiratory membranes does? I'm no biologist, so I'm just guessing here, probably saying some ignorant things. But the highly favorable statistics for pepper spray suggests bears really, really don't like sprays. You know, it's like how primates are instinctively afraid of snakes, or how I'm utterly defenseless against pretty girls. Does anyone know more about this (the bear stuff, I mean)?

Has anyone actually suggested a pistol? Maybe Deathwind should check with a gun forum. There are a number of gun enthusiasts here, but we just don't talk about firearms a whole lot.