No reason not to carry a sidearm if you want to (assuming that's all legal there) But I dont think bears will be an issue for you! Enjoy
-Jake

I would highly recommend you do just the opposite. A can of bear spray weighs a fraction of what a sidearm does. It can accurately be fired from the hip and in general it's a lot more effective. A dose of pepper causes blinding pain, breathing problems and extreme disorientation. Unless you can place a bullet in a moving bears central nervous system he'll brush it off like a mosquito bite. A sidearm might make you feel real macho, but I would seriously recommend the bear spray instead, and I've lived and hunted in bear country my whole life.

I agree about the bear spray. The minute the bear gets hit with the spray it's running off in another direction. You hit it with a bullet, and it just pisses it off.

Plus, the DOW is not fond of you killing a bear without a tag.