IF he had a handgun, he might have survived, but not likely. It sounds like it was the middle of the night and he was asleep. His fiancée only discovered him missing in the AM, so she didn’t hear a struggle. In bear country, he should have been sleeping inside.
Any time I go into the mountains, I carry ‘bear bangers’ and also bear spray as a last resort. Even the TransAlta Hydro boys, who maintain all the isolated hydro facilities in ‘K-Country’, are not allowed to carry guns. They depend on ‘bear bangers’. So far, no one has been attacked by a bear. The ‘bangers’ seem to do the trick!
If no one has been attacked, how do you know that the “bear bangers” work?
For us in southern country, perhaps you could explain what a “bear banger” is.
The term would bring to mind a large caliber handgun in the United States.
I do electrical in northern Alberta, I always carry a 45/70, bear bangers and spray are a joke if your life is in danger.
That’s OK though, each to their own.
IF he had a handgun, he might have survived, but not likely
Having shot several bears with hand guns killing them all I find handguns to be every effective. The antis don’t like them because it shows them to be useful and it kills the bear.
Convince people handguns are not a effective tool then there is less reason to own one.