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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

(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park) - For the period: August 27 to September 2, 2021

Bear activity continues to be high on both sides of the Bow Valley with numerous bears being seen in residential fruit trees and people’s yards! These bears are following their noses and stomachs in search of the easiest meal, which in this case are crabapples, dogwood, cherries and mountain ash. They are doing their best to pack on as many pounds as possible in preparation for heading into their dens later this fall, but those calories should not be coming from people’s yards as it poses a public safety risk and could cost a bear it’s life!

It’s a long weekend coming up and the last one of summer! Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution by not leaving garbage out on the trails, in parks or day use areas. If you plan on doing some camping, remember to keep your campsite clean and garbage free! Make sure that bear attractants such as garbage, food and scented items are kept in vehicles or hard-sided campers while camping. If you are camping in the backcountry, please use the bear proof lockers and bear hangs (if provided). Plan your campsite appropriately and ensure proper separation of cooking area, tent site and food storage. Be prepared to encounter bears out on the landscape whether you are in the backcountry or front country within parks and public lands. You can proactively give them the space they need to feed undisturbed by avoiding areas where bears have been seen or where active warnings have been put in place!

The elk rutting season has begun so male elk are particularly protective of the female elk they are with. The best way to keep them at ease is to stay at least 30m away - which is three school bus lengths - never try to sneak past them and never get between a male elk and the female elk. Remember to keep pets on a leash, carry bear spray in an easily accessible location, and if an elk charges, use your bear spray or position a large object (e.g. car, large tree) between you and the elk.

VIEW CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES

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

Some important reminders about fruit trees for Canmore residents:

Leaving fruit (such as crabapple, mountain ash, chokecherry and dogwood) in your trees can attract bears into residential areas, creating a hazard for people and the children in those neighbourhoods, and also to the bear which may need to be relocated or destroyed if it continues seeking out residential fruit trees.
Residents can be fined for letting fruit and berries accumulate on trees and the ground in their yards.
Canmore has a Voluntary Fruit Tree Removal Incentive Program - instead of picking the fruit every year, remove the tree and swap it for something that doesn’t pose a hazard to bears and people.

WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS

Canmore residents encouraged to remove fruit from trees and shrubs to avoid attracting hungry bears into town.
Watch a bear in Colorado being very bold and destroying a tent. Unfortunately, bears like this understand that campsites potentially mean food and are no longer afraid of people.
A Manitoba woman was knocked down by a black bear in her own backyard!
Mist Mountain and Mount Lipsett trails in K-Country were closed following a bluff charge by a grizzly bear with cubs.

Food for Thought?

What are the Bears eating today? by Derek Ryder, Wildlife Ambassador and IGA Interpretive Guide

Living and recreating safely in bear country means understanding many things, from signs that bears are around to what to do in a bear encounter. As we wander in the wilderness (or even in town sites) we are travelling in bears’ homes: their living areas, dining areas, and even their bathrooms. Recognizing food that bears are currently eating can help raise your awareness of the possibility that bears are around where you are at any given moment. In this series of articles, each month, we’re going to look at what bears are eating right now, and for the next few weeks.

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s getting colder and (shudder) the leaves are turning. The high alpine is already seeing overnight freezes. Despite this, in 2020, there was still shepherdia around until mid-September in some spots. Not in 2021. This year, the shepherdia season has been… terrible, especially in the Bow Valley area. Without their beloved shepherdia, bears are longing for the next best berry. It comes in later than shepherdia, and this year appears VERY plentiful.

Every year, starting in September – not long after the shepherdia berries are all eaten or have dried up – bears turn to another popular food: the berries of the Red Osier Dogwood bush, Cornus sericea. This is a plant with many names. It’s also called red brush, red willow, redstem dogwood, redtwig dogwood, red-rood, American dogwood, creek dogwood, and western dogwood. There are many other kinds of Dogwood in North America, but only Red Osier and its much smaller cousin, the Bunchberry, grow in Alberta. Red Osier Dogwoods look willow-like, but have distinctive red stems that turn even more red after the first frosts. They grow in dense bushes, as seen above.

They have little clusters of tiny flowers in the spring. The berries first appear in July and are green, but they turn white as they ripen. The photo to the left is typical of a Dogwood in mid-switch. You can see flowers, green berries and even tiny white ones. Dogwood leaves turn a brilliant red in the fall. With the pretty leaves, white berries and red stems, they are a popular ornamental plant for gardens – but remember they are a bear attractant! If you have one, you MUST cut the berries off before they turn white. Moose and birds like the berries, too. Moose browse on the plant generally in the winter.

Dogwoods like it moist. They commonly line creek beds, stream edges and lakeshores. The name “Osier” is from the French “osiere”, meaning “that which grows in a stream bed” after all. At Lac Des Arc’s campground, the lake’s edge is lined with Dogwood, and the local bears know it. Fall closures are common. Dogwood is also common in Willow Rock campground in Bow Valley Provincial Park and Three Sisters Campground in Dead Man’s Flats. All three commonly have fall bear warnings and closures. All three are slated for volunteers to go cut the Dogwood out this month. But it grows back; like shepherdia, it’s a very hard plant to kill.

The white berries are edible by humans but bitter. They were combined by native Canadians with sweeter berries to make them more palatable. Native Canadians also smoked the tender inner white bark after it was dried. They would use the red outer bark for tanning and dying, and would weave the pliable stems into baskets.

AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS

Unfortunately, the owner and tenant of this property weren’t quick enough to prevent a bear getting into this crabapple tree in Canmore this week. Instead of getting frustrated, the neighbours all got involved to help remove the apples! We’re inspired by this act of community - Take a picture of your fruit removal, post it to Facebook or Instagram, and tag #wildsmart for a chance to win a Scat Belt! The winning picture will be chosen September 30th.

Let’s all use this as an opportunity to talk with our friends and neighbors about this issue. Perhaps they didn’t know that WildSmart has tools available to borrow for free - like our extendable pole saws + pruner or crabapple pickers. If they need a hand, maybe you could offer to help?

Click on the image to view a video of the bear in this fruit tree.

For those of you who have picked your crabapples but do not know what to do with them, you can contact local cider company Core Values Cider Co. at info@corevaluescider.ca or by phone at 403-493-5441. Their team is on the hunt for crabapples and will be happy to take them off your hands!

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

Bear Report - September 2, 2021