It doesn't sound quite right, but it's true: When it comes to fending off a grizzly bear attack, a can of bear spray works better than a bullet.

Statistics gathered since the early 1990s show that people who used firearms to defend themselves from grizzly attacks suffered injuries about 50 percent of the time. Those who used bear spray escaped injury most of the time, and those who were injured but used bear spray endured shorter attacks and had less severe injuries.

It seems that while a bullet will kill a bear, it doesn't kill it fast enough to deter the attack. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, shooting a charging bear may escalate the seriousness of a bear's attack. Or more simply put, shooting a charging grizzly just makes it mad.

Carrying bear spray in the woods is becoming a more common practice for hikers in Yellowstone National Park and other places where grizzlies and black bears roam. Still, that can of spray on your hip can give you a false sense of security. While bear spray is effective, it's only to be used as a last resort and it doesn't always work.

"It's spring fever time. People are going out for a hike and antler hunting. It's a good time to be carrying pepper spray with you for sure. But you want to do everything you can to avoid getting into a situation where you have to use it," said Mark Gocke, Wyoming Game and Fish spokesman for the Jackson region.

The best way to avoid trouble is to stay alert -- or be "bear aware" -- in the woods.