Couple of questions to answer, I'm not going to multi-quote, you know who I'm replying to. Had the option to keep the meat, but chose not to. The likely bear-inflicted wound on the right shoulder was rather nasty and infected. I didn't trust the meat to be of good quality. The DNR was going to take it to a local research center. This animal was rather skinny. He probably should have weighed in the low 200s. Still waiting on a biologists necropsy report, likely later in the week. Game warden suspected it was a 1 1/2 year old. The area is/was experiencing a drought following a late spring killing frost. Natural bear food is scarce. Bears, especially those living on the margins like my young male, are getting very aggressive and opportunistic in their search for food.
I was at a friend's neighbor's campfire sitting in a lawn chair when their dog (a young lab mix aprox 50 lbs) was ambush attacked at the edge of the firelight. Bear approached silently and upwind from the wooded rear lot (mature pine trees, mowed grass underneath) and pounced on the dog in what I could best describe as a cat-like manner, then started dragging the screaming dog back towards the heavy cover. Background was a steep, wooded uphill with considerable distance to the next dwelling. We used to occasionally shoot pistols there until the township passed an ordinance a couple years ago. I had the gun drawn immediately, but had to wait for the bear to get off the dog and face the group for a clear shot. Only maneuvering was to clear the chair and sidestep a large white pine for a clear angle.
I would have preferred a .357/158, my .41 blackhawk or a centerfire rifle, but I was wearing the 9mm not anticipating bears to be a greater threat than meth heads in the area. My experience with BBs has been some noise and aggressive action such as thrown objects scares them off.