Night of the Grizzlies is an account of two bear attacks on the same night in Glacier. It’s a great summer book and reads like a horror novel.
Way up north in Churchill, Manitoba, on Hudson Bay it is polar bear country. I haven’t been, but my brother has (@FloatyGimpy , you’ve met that brother too), and my wife’s cousin has. They say that nobody locks their cars up there, in case there’s a polar bear and a person needs to jump into a random, parked vehicle for safety. That’s up around 58° N latitude.
When I visited Glacier National Park with my parents way back when I was a teenager we attended a ranger talk that covered that issue. The two methods of differentiation that have stuck with me all these years were, #1 - grizzlies have an extra set of molars vs black bears. So simply count the number of teeth of the animal while it is gnawing on you and you will know if it was a black bear or grizzly. And #2 - climb a tree. Black bears can climb the tree to eat you, but grizzlies can’t climb trees. Instead, grizzlies will knock the tree down then eat you.
Staying several days in Glacier, both east and west sides. Also a side trip to Alberta for one night, and a day trip to Idaho.
I have some thoughts and questions about the use of bear spray, and I don’t want to hijack @FloatyGimpy further, so I started another thread.
mmm
Now that’s news you can use.
That reminds me of a story a friend told about one time when he was hiking in a jungle in India and heard a noise behind a bush. He and a young tiger managed to surprise each other. He had the camera on a strap around his neck, but did not dare move a muscle. After an interminable moment, the tiger slank away. No photograph!
Yeah, always a bummer to miss the perfect nature shot opportunity, but better that than “this amazing closeup shot of a young tiger is the last picture my friend ever took”. 
Not sure, my daughter who lives in Vancouver is planning possible hikes for us all.
I do carry it, but I took out my airhorn first and ended up not even needing that. But I do always have it right on the front of my pack straps so it’s easily accessible.
Where I hike there are also cougars and wolves. In fact Vancouver island has one of the highest densities of both black bears and cougars in the world. Between 7000-12000 black bears and 600-800 cougars.
i went to churchill. i really liked that little town. i would move there in a flash.
we were told not to dangle anything out the window. the buggy operator told us about the time a bear grabbed a camera because the strap was dangling. the bear had a great time playing with it before it tossed it. they were able to retrieve it. i did ask if the bear had taken any pictures…
Also…when you are treed by a bear, how do you know if it is a black or grizzly bear? A black bear will climb the tree to get to you. A grizzly will push the tree over.
A bear’s snarl doesn’t echo. Nobody knows why. 
More bear avoidance advice: if you and your friend are hiking and encounter an angry bear who starts chasing you, it’s not necessary to run faster than the bear…just faster than your friend.
One of the reasons it’s always wise to hike with children.
Yeah, that bears repeating. The jokes in this thread are becoming unbearable.
Does a joke shit in the woods?
It’s just ursine of the times.
Only if no one smells it
That’s oso clever!