>>>> Here in Alaska, carrying a hand gun while out for a walk, where a bear encounter could happen is just plain common sense. <<<<
I recall reading about some guys salmon fishing on the Kenai at the far side of the ferry, and a bear came charging out of that brush on the south bank, obviously to get the salmon carcasses laying on the ground.
One of the guys was said to have had a 12g with a pistol grip slung on his shoulder, and he was able to get one shot off but very badly, completely missing the bear but loud enough to scare it, so it turned and ran back into the scrub.
And from what I recall this was in the height of combat fishing season (i.e., now) and it was pretty crowded (as it was when I was there).
Also a guy was bitten on the butt the day before I arrived at the Cooper River NF Campground just up the hill from Russian River. The NF rangers told me he was just walking to his campsite and crossed the path of a sow and two cubs and that was that. They said he wasn’t hurt too badly.
When I was in Denali at Teklanika River campground we came back from hiking one day and there was a minor emergency because TWO 400 - 600 pound grizzlies were traipsing through the site and had apparently come from the rear which was MY SITE with our two TENTS pitched! We slept in my SUV that night.
I’ll NEVER go tent camping in Alaska again, it’s too damned nerve wracking! ;-)
But I can’t wait to get up there again, next time I’ll rent an RV!