Sundog, I have no practical experience with bear attacks, so I can't do much more than offer what others have said, and I am not a big believer in "anecdotal evidence" as the stories sometimes(
more often than not) they are "stretched a mite") so I am not gonna try to share anything like that.
Regardless the topic has come into my mind & some of the folks around here about such things & I prefer to let folks "do their own research" to satisfy their curiosity & make their Own decisions about such things.
While it could be considered "anecdotal", I do have the experience(s) of my little sister who was living in Alaska near Fairbanks in a cabin a few miles out of town with the last mile or so only a walking path.
One time when she was back visiting my mother in Charlottesville, VA & I happened to be there at the time, she asked me to go shooting one of my 12 ga & my Ruger .44SRH. w/7-1/2 bbl, so she could "brush up" before her return to AK.
She had experienced a couple bear "visits" on the trail & as well at the cabin, but had not had the need to shoot at one in self defense. She also had bear spray, but was not confident in it. Windage at "bear attack range" using a firearm is not so finicky regarding wind direction as a spray is what I reckon she was thinking.
Anyway, the 12ga she wanted to shoot was a Rem. 870 pump which is what she had back in AK, but she also wanted to try the .44M as well to see if she wanted to have one of those in addition to the shotgun.
She shot both and was certainly more comfortable with the shotgun over the handgun.
I might add that while I am 6 feet & over 200#, my little sister is about 5'-4", and at the time likely weighed in around/less than 100#. Either firearm was quite a handful for her, but she was a "trooper" and "stepped up to the plate" and shot both with enthusiasm. After the "Fam-fire" she said that she would stick to the shotgun, but perhaps get a .44M of some sort with a shorter bbl IF she decided to buy one.
So, there is just one example of someone who was no longer a cheechako(<sp?) , and was a confirmed "Sourdough" up there in AK, who preferred the shotgun at that time over a revolver. Although that is certainly not the case with everyone in bear country. I am sure most would go with what they felt most comfortable with carrying & and still have the power to stop an attack.
I rambled... oops.
Well, anyway, on occasion, even here in S.E. Minnesota we have sightings & bird feeder issues with the occasional bear. Even a couple turkey farms to the West of me have had trouble with them getting into the dumpsters where they put the dead turkeys. I have only hear about a shotgun being used to scare off the bear from one porch bird feeder by firing into the air,but that too is just anecdotal.
Over the last year or so, one of the contributors to Ammolands email news letter has accumulated a lot of news reports & such about bear attacks. I think his name is Wiengarten or something like that. He gathered quite a few instances about different firearms against bears & the use of sprays IIRC. That would be one place you might find more info. I am including a link to that group of news reports/stories:
Bear Attacks: The Reality of Deterrents AmmoLand News & Journalist Dean Weingarten have documented hundreds of bear attacks on humans, prompting a close look at deterrents. Contrary to popular media portrayal, bear spray isn’t reliable. Factors like wind direction and bear aggression can reduce...
www.ammoland.com
Here is another link to explore:
There are now 170 documented cases, with 146 of those cases where handguns only are fired in defense against bear attacks. Handguns are effective 98% of the time.
www.ammoland.com
I used a search engine to find these links & here is the link for that as well if you might find it useful:
"Startpage.com - The world's most private search engine"
www.startpage.com
G'Luck~! with your search as well as you & your sons decision-making about this attempt at preparedness.
P.S. - I have done a Lot of trout fishing in this area for many years, and while I have seen tracks of both cougar/mountain lion as well as bear tracks & scat, I did not start carrying a firearm when going fishing until I saw a bear crossing the road about 1/4 mile North of one trout stream local to me and that was 2 miles from another stream where I fish & woods ramble. I usually had both my dogs with me as a bit of warning if needed, but now Duke the choc. lab has gone to meet Jesus, so only Jasper the Aussie Shepard goes now, but I carry a 45ACP, or a 357M when I go rambling. Shotgun is too much for me to fish for trout & carry with slim likelihood of an encounter with a bear or cat, so I just carry what I think would be the best in the event of a chance encounter with big cat or bear. More likely to meet up with 2 legged hassles than the 4 legged ones. Nowadays & around here anyway.
Once again, G'Luck~!
Edited for spelling & syntax..... I think