Animals respond to pain. Getting shot hurts.
Seems simple enough to me.
L
Firearms have the added advantage of inflicting structural damage and death.
A dead bear doesn't come back to attack you some more.
A dead bear doesn't learn and go attack another person.
A dead bear doesn't pass on its propensity to attack humans to new bear generations.
We have black bears in northern NJ. My brother lives in Sparta which is in Warren County.
He keeps his garage door closed at all times, his garbage cans are locked up tight.
He keeps his built in pool covered when not in use and since he has a fairly large piece of property and is a former Marine Lt. He never goes out walking his dog or around his property without his ,45.
So far as yet he’s never had to use it.
Only once he said he had to draw on a bear who he surprised.
For what ever reason , by the grace of God the bear ran off.
I don’t care what the movies show you folks who know this animal know bears can move with incredible bursts of speed and fully pumped up I’d dare say unless you’re behind an M2 “Ma Deuce a charging bear will be up on you in seconds.