Deepcreek, I absolutely agree with you. I think the majority of visitors to the Yellowstone area have never seen a grizzly bear, elk, or buffalo in the wild before. All they have ever seen is the cute, cuddly, furry or docile animals on the Disney type channels. Every year in Yellowstone some of these people find out the hard way that it ain't so.

The problem is that many of these same people have probably never shot a pistol before either. And many of the people that have shot a pistol can't hit anything with them, especially in a emergency situation.

And no, at 30 yds bear spray is not effective at stopping a bear. But I also know that at 20 feet, a "warning shot" from a .44 magnum fired over the head or into a tree next a grizzly will not scare him away, but throw and hit him with a tennis ball size rock at that distance will make him run away.

It would probably require a brain or spine shot with a bullet to stop a charging bear at 20 ft. It would take cool nerves and an above than average marksman (or just plain lucky!) to make that shot with a pistol.

However, it would be much easier and the odds are better of the average person hitting a charging bear in the face at 20 ft with a blast of pepper spray. And a face full of pepper spray at 20 ft will turn a charging bear.

And like Deepdreek also pointed out, you have to know how to operate and be familiar with your pepper spray or pistol before you get into an emergency situation and need it. Your spray can or pistol must also be readily available for instant use, not packed somewhere in your daypack.