[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by winni83

While attacks by black bears may be rare, the US National Park Service has this advice:

“Black Bears: If you are attacked by a black bear, DO NOT PLAY DEAD. Try to escape to a secure place such as a car or building. If escape is not possible, try to fight back using any object available. Concentrate your kicks and blows on the bear's face and muzzle.”

This is in contrast to its advice about attacks by grizzly or brown bears, which in the first instance is to play dead and if that fails, then fight back.
It seems that if you experience a rare black bear attack, it is likely that the bear intends to eat you or at least do grave bodily harm.

There are times when the conventional wisdom about making yourself known to the black bear, raising your arms, shouting, etc. do not work. Several years ago while deer hunting on an old logging road, I was charged by a very large black bear and did all of the things that conventional wisdom recommends, to no avail. The bear just kept on coming at me and there were no cubs in the area. At about 200 feet away from me I put a rifle round in the dirt to its rear, with a second shot ready to hit it. Thankfully that was not necessary and the bear and I parted company. It was close enough that I did not want to wait and see if it was a bluff charge.

Very interesting. I don't say this often, but a very good time to be armed! (haha) A friend of mine is a bow and arrow hunter for deer, but always brings a handgun in case of bear.