To take minerals from the soil.
Pepper, on its own, will not melt ice.
Depends how long it takes for the male bear to finish.
never
a grizzly bear
700 hours
15hours
1 second
The best protection against bear will not be a handgun, but an OC Pepper Spray made specifically for bears. There is no handgun that would be a guaranteed bear stopper. I have spent time in bear country, and we carried bear spray and a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with slugs.
2 hours
12hrs
100 days