Just to put a different spin on bears and bear country..

In Canada there are far more people out hiking, biking and fly fishing in grizzly/black bear country then archery hunters. Every day there are hundreds of thousands in the summer out in their habitat either unarmed or armed with only bear spray. Relatively speaking few encounters happen, and out of those encounters, few turn into a charge and most charges are mock charges.. Bear attacks do happen but it is still a rare event, thanks to the fact that the bears are keeping away from us as much as we are from them.

Personally I feel much safer in the Eastern Slopes of the Rockies with bear spray than I would in some neighborhoods in East Calgary with bear spray.

My friends (hunting and non hunting) and myself have had bear encounters, but in every case they ran off and it never got to the point of needing bear spray. And with all the gear I already carry while bow hunting, up and down and up ridges again, a canister of bear spray is much easier to carry around and keep on your body (quick access) than a .375 Holland & Holland or a Winchester Defender.

While hunting on foot for elk, bear pray is far more practical, smaller, lighter and effective.