I do not understand needing a defense load for black bears. I have lived around them my entire life and never seen one to worry about. Last fall the neighbor lady (a couple hundred yards away) asked me to get rid of some raccoons that were tearing up her bird feeders so I set out a camera. The first thing I see on it was a 450 lb bear. I told her I was not going to trap it and shoot it. I did get rid of 11 raccoons and she lives with the bear like I do. One comes every spring and tears up the bird feeders so we put them away for a week and there's peace and harmony in the universe. Once on the farm I did load a rifle and go out to make sure the one eyeing up the boar hog changed his mind. Other than that one the worst behavior I have seen out of them is ripping down trail cams. Around here they are just inoffensive varmints. Large varmints to be sure, but nowhere near the PITA a red squirrel is let alone gophers. I am 72 now and I have never ever seen one that didn't leave as soon as it found out I was not friendly, and that includes sows with cubs.
This is like saying you don’t see the need for seatbelts, air bags, or helmets because you have never personally needed one.
