I know down wind from up wind, deer hunted most of my life and probably set out 3000 decoy spreads in my life shooting mallards. However, my question was, is noise the best deterent in the woods for bears, meaning whistling, singing, occasionally shouting. There are such things known as cross winds and a bear could stumble on you from the side. I guess if I walked up on a bear with a carcass off the trail which I could not see or smell, he good get territorial in a hurry, hell my dogs do around their food. Since a 44 is out of the question, want to fish, not worry about getting fined and bailed out of jail, I would rather have something in my hands bear spray rather than my johnson. Just my thoughts have been diving and if sharks show up around the wreck we get out the water, just like you don't swim in creeks you don't know during gator mating season. Probably have nothing to worry about, but as I said this southern boy is not familiarized with Grizzlys.