[thumper]

I've kept a shotgun and slugs behind a door in a work-camp situation, but when fishing & hiking both inside Banff & Jasper park and outside the parks, I carry bear spray.

After carrying a shotgun at 'port arms' when hunting grouse, and still not being fast enough to 'get on' the bird with any accuracy when that harmless ball of feathers flies in the opposite direction, I've come to realize that the chances of me accessing, aiming, and getting a shot off at a big ball of fur crashing towards me in the bush - are pretty minimal. Only in the case of stand-off, slow motion kind of attack would it be effective, and even then, the pepper spray would suffice to dissuade escalation.