My favorite bear defense story came from P. Hope, AK along the Arctic coast in the extreme NW corner of the state. An elderly Eskimo woman was walking in the village during a typical January blizzard. It was dark and she was headed to visit a sick friend. She was bundled up in an ankle length parka with the hood up and thick fur mittens. A polar bear jumped her from behind and knocked the face down onto the ground. The bear straddled her and flipped her over. With a snarling polar bear on top of you and ready to make a meal of you what do you do? She balled up her fist inside the mitten and shoved it as far into the bears mouth as she could, uncurled her fist, and withdrew her hand leaving the large fur mitten lodged in the bears throat. The bear asphyxiated and she survived. Well played madam.
That’s Pt. Hope, AK.