Hell, after reading all this, I now have a new strategy whenever I go into the woods.
I'm going to take some Counter Assault PLUS my handgun (.44 Magnum).
If a bear comes my way, I'm going to fan a few shots at him from the Mod 29 to give him pause. Then I'm going to quickly turn the Counter Assault spray on myself and give myself a good faceful--might even spray some inside the front of my pants.
I figure if that spray does everything everyone familiar with it says it will, then I'll be screeching, hopping, howling and dancing like a friggin' banshee on LSD and that poor bear will immediately take a dump and run for his damned life.
Y'all can be bear bait if you like. But not this ol' Texas boy. No, siree.