I know it isn’t popular to say this here but when I am alone in my woods in the Southern Tier I carry my handgun, a .380 Auto, in my jacket or pants pocket. It is incredibly loud. I figure the first 2 shots would be noise makers. The rest would be used as last resort, just in case. (I am aware the 380 is small and supposedly not powerful enough to kill a bear but I figure something is better than nothing. It is small enough for me to carry comfortably in my pocket. Anything larger would end up sitting in the car. Useless.)
That said, I have never seen a bear in my woods. This is bear country and I’ve been told by various people in town they are out there on my property but I’ve not seen them.
I honestly do not know if the shots would scare a bear away. I would prefer to never find out.
When my kids were young we’d go there and camp occasionally. Our favorite night would be the weekend of the Perseid Meteor shower in mid August with no Moon . Dark, dark sky, higher altitude, no lights anywhere. We’d put down a blanket and watch the fireworks.
Unbeknownst to them, I was cocked and locked just in case we had a visitor. We never did.
I never told them I was carrying, nor that there were bears in the area. I did not want them to fear nature or the property. As their parent, I considered it my job to protect them. One person worrying is enough. They were given the gift of enjoying those magical nights without fear.