A couple of years ago I was fishing a quiet strech of the Bella Coola river in British Columbia After a hours fishing and landing several salmon,I started back wading chest deep along the shore line of a small island. I came to a deep spot so I climbed out on the bank .several steps later I came on two salmon carcases;one was freshly eaten to the bones ,the other had deep claw marks on its back.Two steps further I found a large bed down area still warm and smelling of grizzley.
I had been fishing for an hour within fifty yards of a large male grizzley. Normally I would have been packing a 12 guage magnum bear stick but on this occasion I had left it behind .
Say what you like but you feel a lot more relaxed if your alone in bear country when your packing something with enough stopping power.