Allen Sherman! That guy made me laugh until I......

LH... do a search for past threads on bears. Lots of good info from 'Cats on those... the best method is to fire a shot a safe distance to the side of them and in front of them so that it clearly demonstrates that you are not just barking empty threats.

If you don't have a gun (stupid idea if you are in bear country = where I go), avoidance is best. There are places where bears hang out and knowing what to look out for... well, a bit too long to type out here, but, I'll share a couple... When old lumber roads are grown up, you sometimes see a "trail" a few feet wide on them. If the trail has a lot of softwood and looks like a tunnel about 4 feet tall, get the hell away without delay on accounta you don't wanna mess with the large boar that hunts this "bear tunnel." Similarly, if you notice logs from blowdown or lumbering are moved around and there are no leaves or needles and such where the ground has been disturbed, leave the area. And remember, the bigger the log, the bigger the bear. There are more, but you get the pic.

A few more random thoughts.....

When you encounter a bear, knowing it's intent helps. If it runs, it's obvious. But, still vacate the area. If it moves away slowly, but not definitely away from you, wait until it is out of site and and retreat as quickly as you can without making too much noise. If it moves toward you slowly without growling and it's looking at you and your surroundings, well, hope you said nice things to your loved ones before you left.

Always carry a small hatchet. Get behind a tree. Kick or throw dirt in it's face. I never did this with a bear, but it works well with moose (no dirt required) on accounta they got four legs. Four legs run faster than two, but can't side shuffle worth a shit. Also, even though black bears climb trees, I suppose it's better than being on the ground and I suppose a hatchet, dirt, sharp stick would work well from above.

Never yell at a bear. Of course, never travel alone. Move apart a bit and make it look like you are hunting in a pack (never tried it... just a thought).

Finally... throw the Dachshund at it!