There are now 126 comments posted, and it's clear gun people don't believe bear spray works, and bear spray people don't think guns work. Bear spray people clearly base their opinion on media coverage of studies, not the studies themselves. Gun people have not read the studies either. We don't know if the female guide had bear spray or not due to conflicting media reports. Everybody wonders how 20 + hikers failed to make enough noise to displace any nearby bears. Nobody has given consideration to the notion that the hikers were quiet on purpose. They wanted to see wildlife, including bears. If they saw bears, they wanted pictures, preferably selfies with a friendly bear in the background. Whatever happened out there, the woman who got mauled and her family and friends are hurting and we can only hope she comes out of this OK. If a hero is someone who risks their life to save someone else's life, the guide who ran up to the bear and sprayed it is a hero.