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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.24-Dec.2, 2022)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
This will be the last weekly bear report for 2022 as there have not been any recent bear sightings in the Bow Valley! This recent cold spell will likely encourage any bears still out on the landscape to go into their winter dens but remember that some male bears might stay out of their dens until mid-December, and even into January. With this in mind, it is important that we do not become complacent when heading out on the trails and that we are always mentally prepared for possible encounters with wildlife!
We will continue to use this mailing list to send out any significant updates on wildlife activity as needed throughout the winter, as well as relevant WildSmart News and Events. Also keep an eye on our website, Facebook page and Instagram for updates on Bow Valley wildlife and educational resources throughout the winter.
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
Bear spray should be carried year-round but with the cold weather we often get asked about the effect of colder temperatures on bear spray performance.
In a 2020 publication in the Journal of Wildlife Management, scientists examined the effects of temperature, wind, canister age, and repeated use on bear spray performance. The main takeaway is that bear spray is an important and effective deterrence tool in all areas where bears occur, even if it is windy or cold!
Temperature: Specifically, they tested bear spray in temperatures ranging from -23C to +25 C. In all cases they achieved a spray distance of four meters or more. At the lowest temperature tested (−23°C), bear spray had a range >4 m.
Wind: Even when used in the highest winds (~22mph) coming directly towards the nozzle, the spray still reached 2 meters (the average distance of spray deployment in real incidents).
Canister Age/Repeated Use: When looking at repeated use, or test firing of bear spray, they found that approximately 50% of canister head pressure is lost during the first 1 second of spray use or greater. Finally, when examining the effect of time, the canisters lost about 1 gram of propellant for every year of age, supporting manufacturers' 4-year expiration dates.
Based on the results of this paper, they recommend the following guidelines:
Do not test‐fire cans intended for use in the field
Keep canisters warm when in the cold, tucking them inside a parka or sleeping bag
Retire canisters of bear spray when they are expired
Source: Smith, T.S., Wilder, J.M., York, G., Obbard, M.E. and Billings, B.W. (2020), An Investigation of Factors Influencing Bear Spray Performance. Journal of Wildlife Management. doi:10.1002/jwmg.21958
To help keep wildlife safe, Parks Canada has put out some simple guidelines to follow when hanging your Christmas lights! Some examples include holding off on putting up lights until after Nov.30, hanging lights at least 10 feet off the ground and hanging lights on the roof of your house or high in trees where elk and deer can’t reach them. Ensure strings of lights are secured tightly to buildings so they don’t sag and avoid stringing lights between multiple trees or across open spaces. When strings of lights are wrapped around low bushes, elk and deer may get their antlers tangled in them.
Photo courtesy of Parks Canada.
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Watch this video of a bear walking past unaware skiers in Whistler, B.C. on Nov.27, 2022.
Parasites may create more wolf pack leaders in Yellowstone National Park.
Pair of women jump into lake to escape cougar in Okanagan.
Canmore residents are encouraged to report dead feral rabbits.
Learn about the bear rewilding project in Trentino, Italy through these photographs.
Dog seriously injured in encounter with bear and cubs in Goffstown, NH.
Manitoba tourism operator fined for not following polar bear safety rules.
Columbian ground squirrels causing 'significant damage' at Banff cemeteries.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Bird feeders are allowed to be hung in Canmore from December 1 to March 31. Please keep the ground underneath clean and hang/suspend your bird feeder above the ground in such a manner that it is inaccessible to wildlife other than birds.
Help guide the discussion for the future of plains bison in Banff National Park! Parks Canada is seeking Indigenous, stakeholder, and public feedback on the draft report to help determine next steps for bison management over the next ten years and beyond. The Public Engagement will run from November 9, 2022, to December 14, 2022.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
Each year the Polar Bears International Bear Tracker follows GPS-collared female polar bears from the Hudson Bay region, allowing them a glimpse into the secret world of polar bears on the sea ice. This year, they are again tracking bears from both the Western Hudson Bay (WHB) and Southern Hudson Bay (SHB) populations and will be able to compare their movements. The bears may or may not have cubs and vary in age, usually from 5 to 25. The age you see reflects their age at the time they were collared. They look forward to the months ahead, watching the different decisions these bears make while hunting seals and navigating the shifting ice before they return to land next summer. These research programs have been active for several decades, providing some of the best long-term monitoring datasets for polar bears in the world.
The trackers are live and you can learn more about the 15 bears that were fitted with trackers this fall by clicking here.
Click on this image to see the Polar Bear Tracker. Photo from https://polarbearsinternational.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
47th Annual Christmas Bird Count
This year’s Christmas Bird Count will be on Saturday, December 17, 2022 and will be conducted similar to last year with self-organized pairs or groups surveying their assigned area and reporting their observations to Count organizers. The plan is to have their traditional potluck dinner afterward, if this is not possible, they will work on a virtual get-together once the results are compiled. Please contact either the Banff or Canmore coordinator if you would like to participate in this year's Count.
Banff: Heather Dempsey heather@bowvalleynaturalists.org
Canmore: Ethan Denton ethan@suechick.com or text: 825-431-9192
Check out the Bow Valley Naturalists’ website for more information.
Photo: A. Athwal
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