While I've seen bears many times there have been only two times that have concerned me.
Once, three Springs ago the dog and I were walking a trail in the same park as above when,
not 12 feet in front of us, a bear came barreling out of the brush onto the trail
and high-tailed it down the path, thankfully away from us.
While I was caught a bit flat-footed, my dog's instincts kicked in and he started to give chase.
With some anxiety I gave the command to halt and was pleased when he obeyed.
Since then I've been more aware of the need to make enough noise to warn of our approach.
I've taken to shouting out, "NO BEARS ALLOWED" at regular intervals. ;~)
The second occurrence while not directly affecting me made me realize the seriousness of the potential danger.
Last August I had spent 2 weeks of remote travel in the Missinaibi Lake area of northern Ontario.
After a week of my return home a report came through of a woman being killed by a bear in a location I had passed through on my journey...link
The woman's husband had frantically tried to fight off the bear with a Swiss Army knife.
While a predatory bear is a rarity, this event convinced me to be better prepared.
While a gun is not an option at this point,
(and in the area mentioned not allowed, being part of the Chapleau Game Preserve)
I'm not going to be left with a Swiss Army knife as a means of defense.
I was considering an 8" but settled for this 6" Buck knife,
made in the good ol' U.S. of A.
That would be my final line of defense,
may not save me but I'd like to put some hurt on him as I go down.
Probably never need it but I'd sure feel foolish if I did and didn't have it.
My first defense, hopefully only for nuisance bears, is a compressed air horn,
followed by bear-bangers and pepper spray.
The dog may help as a deterrent as well.