BEAR ACTIVITY SUMMARY FOR THE BOW VALLEY
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park) For the period: May 29 to June 5, 2020
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.
SUMMARY
There continue to be sightings of family groups of both grizzly and black bears in the Bow Valley so it is very important that you remain vigilant while out using the trails! Make sure to give these mothers and their young lots of space as they are particularly protective of their young cubs. Make lots of noise (yell, shout) to let wildlife know you are coming down the trail and slow down to avoid surprise encounters with wildlife, especially around blind corners, at the tops of hills, or in areas with thick vegetation and poor sight lines.
A group of hikers were recently bluff charged by a black bear on the Jura Creek Trail (near Exshaw). Although they were carrying bear spray, it was noticed by officials while investigating this incident that very few people on the trail were carrying bear spray. Remember to carry bear spray in an easily accessible location (not in your backpack) and be prepared to use it. You can read more about it in this article.
There continue to be reports of people getting charged and chased by aggressive female elk along pathways and trails in and around town. It is elk calving season and a mother elk will aggressively protect her calf by kicking and charging at you if she feels threatened. Stay at least 30 metres (3 school bus lengths) away from all elk, stay on open trails instead of walking through dense vegetation, keep pets on a leash and carry bear spray!
There continue to be reports of urban elk calves that have been placed near developed areas by their mothers. Please report urban elk calves to KES immediately by calling 403-591-7755. Do not get involved yourself or attempt to approach or move them as the mother elk is likely nearby and will aggressively protect her calf by kicking and charging at you if she feels threatened.
What are the Bears eating today? Part 2 in a Series by Derek Ryder, Wildlife Ambassador & 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. It is now early June; EVERY bear is awake and has migrated down to the valley bottoms. Sightings of bears in towns and along roadsides have increased. Part of this is because it’s elk calving season, and a bear getting their teeth on a baby elk would be great for the bear (not so much for the elk, but then there’s a lot more of them than bears). There’s a great video of a bear chowing down on an elk floating around social media right now. But bears aren’t that great when it comes to hunting, and in general, they get FAR more energy from plants than meat. Now is the time of the year for one of the Top 5 Plant Foods for bears in the Bow Valley: Dandelions.
In case you haven’t noticed, dandelions grow everywhere people are. That’s because most of the ones you see are not native. There are 2 native dandelions: the Alpine Dandelion and the False Dandelion, but they are FAR outnumbered by the common, lawn variety dandelion. Native to Europe and Russia, the first dandelions in North America were intentionally brought over on the Mayflower! Basically all parts of the plant are edible, and they’ve been a significant part of human diets for much of recorded history, including the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks and Chinese. From wine to coffee to salad greens, people have eaten a lot of dandelions despite their diuretic properties. You can even make rubber from the latex in the flower stem (though the latex itself is a laxative). As a result, people took dandelions with them as they moved around the planet.
Bears like the yellow flower best, though have been recorded digging for the roots. You can see Grizzly 136 chowing down on dandelion flowers on the side of my yard in the photo. He spent a happy few hours in the hamlet where I live eating every dandelion flower he could find. The flowers are full of protein and carbohydrates, are sweet and full of vitamins as well. And like all of the best bear food, they are very, very plentiful in the right spaces. Dandelions are one of the first flowers out in late May and stay in bloom through June and into July, when other berries start up.
It should come as no surprise that the scat of a bear eating dandelions will show signs of yellow, though less than you might think, as dandelions are readily and almost entirely digestible. Generally, dandelion-filled scat is a pale greeny-brown with some yellow flecks as shown in the picture.
Dandelions like disturbed soil, need a lot of sunlight and grow where people are. I just described roadsides, and that’s why many of the bear sightings that have occurred in the last while (and will occur for the next few weeks) are beside the road. Dandelions spread like crazy along roadsides and in ditches, and occasionally along trails, though generally not too deep into the forest, as a forest isn’t a great habitat for them. So roadsides are where the dandelions are, and where the bears are for the next while, making the risk of roadside collisions a big risk everywhere. The wildlife fences along the Trans-Canada Highway are good at keeping ungulates out, but are readily climbed by bears. At least one roadside black bear death near the Sunshine turn off in 2019 was due to bears climbing the fence to get dandelions in the median and on the shoulders.
When we talk about “controlling attractants”, many folks think of crabapple and other fruit trees, but dandelions also qualify, especially if you’re proximal to the forest edges in town. We’re never going to eliminate this invasive plant however, so hand digging, and simply plucking the flowers each day both work, and are better strategies than chemical ones, for obvious reasons. These days, I pick over 100 flowers from my lawn each DAY. I think there’s a degree of irony that bears here (and bees, too) have come to rely on an introduced species for their survival. But bears are pretty adaptable, and if they weren’t chowing down on something we basically planted for them, they would find the “next best thing”.
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!
CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
Bear Warning: Jura Creek Trail (near Exshaw) due to a group of hikers that were bluff charged by a black bear.
Aggressive Elk Warning: You may see warning signs like the one below posted in areas around Canmore where there have been regular incidents of aggressive female elk closing distance on people.
Click here for current information from Alberta Parks about visiting their parks during COVID-19. A complete list of all warnings and closures is available here for Alberta Parks in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country.
Click here for current information from Parks Canada about vising their parks during COVID-19. A complete list of all warnings and closures is available here for Banff National Park.
Here is a list of some Annual Closures in Kananaskis Country.
For more information on areas in the Bow Valley frequented by bears at this time of year visit our human-bear conflict summary map.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
The reintroduced bison herd in Banff National Park had 10 new calves born this spring, including one calf to a new mother who was herself born in Banff in 2017! The original population of 16 bison that were introduced to Banff National Park in 2017 has now risen to 45. Find out more in this recent article.
Signatory nations of the Buffalo Treaty seek to honor, recognize and revitalize the time immemorial relationship they have with buffalo. Learn more at buffalotreaty.com
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