Yep, and I love that joke. Told that one to the surgical crew as I was being anesthetized for surgery and the whole staff liked it as well. Much better than my suggestion to not skimp on the electrolyte if needed 'cause I did not want to wake up with burn marks on my chest..... :-)
As to the pistol, there is significant data that shows bear repellent spray to be more effective than a firearm (any / all calibers). As you well know, I am a big fan of firearms and their (lawful, correct) application and use but I really do kinda' think bear spray IS more effective, especially in the hands of those not so great with firearms (my wife for example).
Brian
You've heard the joke about bear spray. Forest rangers recommendations about hiking in bear country:
You never want to surprise a bear so wear a small bell so that the bears can hear you coming. And for defense bring bear spray. If you see scat, you can tell if it is bear scat when it has little bells in it and smells like pepper spray.
Personally, I use S&W 500 Mag for my bear repellent.