David, first of all, thanks for linking to that report, one which is, IMO and IME, THE most realistic appraisal of what is most appropriate in the circumstances. I would only add that the old Arican round, now becoming very popular here in North America, the 9.3×62 Bock, used in inexpensive Mauser rifles by settlers to deal with marauding Lions, is an excellent option and we are now building/using these here in B.C., as I did yesterday.
The situation concerning backpackers here is very simple in that relatively few of these tourists have the skill and experience to safely deal with dangerous bears and/or firearms. You might note that I posted that I seldom carry a gun when backpacking and have never done so in my decades of BC bush recreation.
I DO carry when I deem it appropriate, however, this was/is largely concerned with my former employment in wilderness work, usually alone. I have the professional level training and lots of it, to do so safely; we have no way of determining whether a tourist backpacker has this or not, so, safety is one major concern.
Some years ago, a Norwegian fim crew was in the Canadian Arctic, to make a film(s) about Polar Bears and, they had ILLEGALLY brought a .44Mag. revolver into Canada. They used this to ILLEGALLY kill a Polar Bear and evidently thought that they were quite the rugged heros for doing so……there was a large and angry outcry about this and the "Feds" supposedly contacted the "Norske" government and made a complaint.
This is NOT the only example of "poaching" of rare Canadian wildlife here by foreign tourists and, it is important to understand, that, while Canada is a huge land, with incredible resources, WE OWN IT and it is not here for foreigners to use as they see fit. So, the poaching issue is another serious reason why I, and most Canucks, strongly oppose foreigners possessing guns here, while on vacation.
IF, a foreign backpacker wishes to trek through regions where considerable danger from bears exists, my feeling is that they should be REQUIRED to hire a certified Canadian guide to do so and said person would provide the protection required. There is a growing movement here to bring this into being, especially with the number of tourist skiers being killed in avalanches near my home town and I very much support mandatory backcountry guiding for all non-res. backpackers, as the wilderness resource belongs to us and can supply some of the funding we need to preserve it.
Hope this answers your query, I am in favour of gun ownership, obviously, but, NOT of un-restricted carrying and access to backcountry by anyone who wishes to do so….I have seen too many "recoveries" in my time in BC-AB wilderness work.
