A 37 mm flare pistol loaded with the appropriate “flare” will induce “Burnt Bruin Behavior” each and every time. Once a bear finds its fur on fire, its nose full of smoking holes, its ears crisped, and can’t figure why the sun suddenly got so dark - at that point it is not a risk to the flare gun user.
As the Bear BBQ has started, do not hike without a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce.