Did you know that WildSmart is a program of the Biosphere Institute, a local charity? Our work relies entirely on donations and sponsors. If you would like to support our community-based efforts to promote human-wildlife coexistence, please donate!
The information below is based upon a compilation of bear information provided by government agencies and unconfirmed sightings reported by the public over the last week. It is not intended to be used as a real-time, complete record of where bears are in the valley.
BEAR ACTIVITY SUMMARY (Nov.3-10, 2022)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
There have been no recent bear sightings reported in the Bow Valley and GPS data is showing that collared grizzly bears in Kananaskis Country have either gone into their dens or are staying very close to their den site. That being said, there are likely non-collared bears still out and about searching for last minute calories. Remote camera and collar data have shown that some males like to stay out on the landscape into mid-December, and even into January (for instance the Boss is often seen along the great divide ski trail by Lake Louise until at least New Year). With this in mind, it is important that we don’t become complacent when heading out on the trails and that we are mentally prepared for possible encounters with wildlife!
Archive photo of a grizzly bear out in the snow.
The elk rut is over but numerous elk continue to be seen all throughout town which means you have to be alert and you may have to choose an alternate route while out for a walk/run/ride. Give plenty of space to ALL ELK (at least 30 metres or 3 bus lengths) and do not try to sneak past them on the trail! Never approach elk for ANY reason and keep your pets on a leash.
Elk hanging out roadside in Canmore this past week!
You can also submit your report using the Report-A-Poacher Online form or contact your local district Fish and Wildlife office.
SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND
Even though the bears have or will enter their dens soon, there are still many species that do not hibernate (i.e. cougars, wolves, coyotes, deer and elk). Every time you head out on the trails you need to be vigilant and mentally prepared for possible encounters with wildlife! Here are some simple things you can do to stay safe on the trails:
Stay on designated trails so that we are more predictable for wildlife
Make lots of noise (yell, shout) to let wildlife know you are coming down the trail to avoid surprise encounters with wildlife and give them time to move off of the trail
Avoid recreating at dusk, dawn or at night which is when cougars and other wildlife are most active
Be aware of your surroundings by periodically checking behind you to make sure there are no animals following you and by not wearing earbuds/headphones, which will limit your ability to hear approaching wildlife
It is safer to hike, bike, run, or ski in a group. Not only are you more intimidating for wildlife, you will also make more noise
Think about carrying some sort of satellite communications device in case of an emergency
Surprise defensive encounters happen very quickly so it is very important that you know how to use bear spray and that you are able to pull it out and deploy it in under 3 seconds! This requires lots of practice and you need to carry it YEAR-ROUND in an easily accessible location (not in your backpack)! Bear spray is also effective against wildlife which are active year-round such as cougars, wolves, coyotes and elk and should be carried along well-travelled trails in and around town.
It is hunting season! Please be aware of your surroundings and stay clear of dead animals. Hunters should always carry and use bear spray as the first line of defense, even if they are carrying a gun.
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
A Canmore property owner has been fined after unsecured dumpster contributed to bear deaths.
Wolverine numbers are declining inside and outside protected areas.
Two people were injured in separate bear attacks in Squamish, B.C.
A speedy bear cub eludes capture as it snacks through a Gatineau neighbourhood.
If you have 15 spare minutes, watch this short awareness film by Wildlife SOS about “Living with Sloth Bears.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Please ensure that your yards are free of ALL attractants so that bears do not find anything to eat and subsequently get into trouble! As a reminder, please do not put out bird feeders yet as they could potentially attract bears into your yard. In Canmore, bird feeders are not allowed to be used during bear season between April 1 to November 30.
Living in the Bow Valley means wildproofing your property. Patios and crawl spaces under sheds or stairs are attractive hiding or denning places for cougars, foxes, bears, coyotes, and other animals. Proactive prevention is the best way to keep carnivores from taking up residence in your residence.
Blocking holes and covering access to hiding places will keep your pets and neighbours safe, and could prevent the need to relocate or kill habituated wild animals. Spring is the best time to wild-proof your property, with an extra check before winter.
Follow these tips to avoid attracting animal guests:
Board up open spaces under decks or patios or close them off with durable wire mesh.
Install motion-activated security lights if possible. They may help frighten away carnivores.
Keep cats indoors and bring dogs inside at night. If your dog is outside unsupervised in the day, make sure they’re in a secure, covered kennel.
If you see a cougar or other wildlife in the Banff town site, call Parks Canada at 403-762-1470. To report a cougar or other aggressive wildlife in Canmore, call Kananaskis Emergency Services 403-591-7755.
Keep animals out by wildlife proofing your property! Image downloaded from the Nov.3, 2022 edition of the Rocky Mountain Outlook.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
Here is another pawsitive story from the 6th International Human-Bear Conflict Workshop in South Lake Tahoe last month. Also attending the workshop was Chiara Feder, Wildlife Biologist from Rocky Mountain House. During the workshop, her young daughter Caterina, fell in love with a black bear stuffy in the silent auction. As a means to gather enough sponsorship to win the auction bid for ‘Bert’ the black bear, Caterina thought it would be cool for Bert to ‘talk’ about the importance of waste management in Lake Tahoe. With mentoring and editing support from other attendees, she created a short video that was presented at the workshop during the Effective Messaging and Outreach session.
Ryan Canaday, chief reporter for Reno KTVN (CBS TV), attended that session and when he heard Caterina’s story he shared it on Reno's news that Friday night. Click here to watch the Reno news report. The story ends with Caterina coming home with Bert and another bear she named Boo-Boo. Congratulations, Caterina!
Here is Caterina’s video (2-minutes).
Congratulations to Maya Carr, the new 2022 Mountain Spirit Award Winner!
A great tradition of Mountain Spirit continues within the Biosphere Institute and the Canadian Rockies Youth Network. Past winners include Biosphere Institute staff members Ava Vanderbeek (2021 Mountain Spirit Award recipient) and Heidi Widmer (2010 Mountain Idol recipient).
On Oct. 31 at the Banff Mountain Film Festival, Heidi introduced Ava (who never had the chance to accept her 2021 award in-person due to the pandemic) and Ava presented to Maya!
We are so happy a strong line of woman activists are advocating for our playground we call the Rocky Mountains. Congratulations to all the other nominees and thank you to Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival for this amazing event!
Pictured from left to right: Heidi Widmer, Maya Carr & Ava Vanderbeek.
UPCOMING EVENTS
We're excited to welcome newcomers and old-timers alike to join us TONIGHT at Canmore Brewing Company for Bow Valley Community Week! Drop by anytime between 5pm-7:30pm - see you there!
The Life of Polar Bears - hosted by Recsafe with Wildlife.
There is a FREE Zoom talk tomorrow on November 11th at 12pm MST (1pm CT, 2pm ET) with Polar Bears International live from Churchill, Manitoba. Straight from the PBI tundra buggy, Alysa McCall will talk about the lives of Polar Bears and the current efforts to reduce polar bear - human conflict in The North. Register by clicking here!
Please remember BEARS CAN BE ENCOUNTERED ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!
Report any sightings of a bear, cougar, wolf or any aggressive wildlife in Kananaskis Country or the Bow Valley to Kananaskis Emergency Services at 403.591.7755