I have the pleasure to live in bear. lion and coyote country and walk my dog daily in it. She wears a bell and I carry a Ruger LCR in .38 Spcl with a max load.
The only issue that I have ever had was with some urbanized coyotes in a state park.
Where I go in the back country by my home my friend's Airedale jumped a mountain lion earlier this year. The lion is my biggest fear, more for the dog than me. With the bell, I seldom see anything but an occasional snake.
Last week I was hunting grouse in the Flattops and we came up on a cow and bull moose, the rut had started. Now that is a bigger problem than any black bear that I have ever encountered. Having three rounds of #6 shot is not very comforting. Fortunately, we were able to skirt around them before the bull got too agitated.
