I stand corrected. I don' t worry much bout blacks, cause they have also always run off when we see each other. The question of bear spray is relative to yardage. A surprised, non-charging bear at 20 yards can be shot with bear spray an' he will leave more often than not. At 10 yards with snappin' an' swippin with a paw, I' m flippin' off the safety on my rifle.