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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 UPDATE (July 27-Aug 3, 2023)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
Both types of bears, including family groups, continue to be been seen throughout the Bow Valley and K-Country, feeding on ripe buffaloberries and other natural vegetation along trails and near campgrounds. This has resulted in more warnings and closures being put in place. It is a good idea to find out where the bear warnings are and plan to avoid these areas in order to reduce your risk of encounters.
As bears seek out berries, they will have their heads down focused on eating berries and not paying attention. It is up to us to make lots of noise to help avoid any surprise encounters. Be prepared and on the lookout for bears feeding on buffaloberries while you recreate, as many berry bushes are found along popular trails. All trail users should have a heightened awareness, keep dogs on a leash, and make lots of noise to alert bears of their presence. More useful tips during berry season can be found in this article from three years ago.
As buffaloberry season starts to wind down, other berries such as Dogwood are starting to ripen in the Bow Valley. A positive proactive step that you can take is to remove fruit (such as crabapple, mountain ash, dogwood and chokecherry) from your trees NOW before you have a bear in your tree!
Wildlife attractant storage (garbage, food and other scented items) is of utmost importance as bears continue to be seen in and around campgrounds and day use areas. We can’t prevent bears from walking through our picnic areas and campsites, but we can certainly do our best not to give them a food reward or reason to linger!
Grizzly bear in K-Country feeding on buffaloberries on July 18, 2023.
There is a Bear Closure at Rawson Lake Trail & Sarrail Ridge Route due to an injured grizzly bear in the area. Click on image for more info!
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
With numerous bear sightings occuring, we will focus this portion of the bear report on bear spray and we will be answering some common questions about it.
BEAR SPRAY
Great job, you bought a can of bear spray...now what? For your own safety, you need to check your bear spray to make sure it is safe and ready for use! For example, you will need to remove the plastic wrap AND cut the yellow strap off! Bear spray is only useful if you can get it out and ready to use in under 2 seconds and you won’t be able to remove that plastic wrap and yellow strap in a hurry. Read this article about a safety for your safety and watch the video below!
Wildlife Ambassador Derek has some words of wisdom about the safety of your bear spray safety!
Does bear spray actually work? YES! Watch the video below and read this article on the the Efficacy of Bear Spray. Results showed that in 90% of close-range encounters with black and brown bears, bear spray stopped the bear’s undesirable behaviour. It is important to note that 98% of persons carrying it were uninjured after a close encounter with bears. Bear spray is a very effective way of deterring a bear at close range and bear spray has also been shown to be effective at deterring other wildlife such as cougars, wolves, coyotes and elk, and it should be carried while walking on well-traveled trails, including the trails in and around town.
Does bear spray hurt the bear? Bear spray is non-lethal and the effects on the bear may last anywhere from 10-45 minutes. The bear will be disoriented, confused and will likely run away as it will have difficulty seeing and breathing, giving you time to get out of a dangerous situation.
In fact, by spraying a bear that approaches or charges at you with bear spray you might actually be saving its life! When bears get too close to humans, it is the bear that pays the price by getting relocated (only about 30% successful) or destroyed. By spraying the bear, you are giving it a negative experience to teach it a lesson that it is not OK to approach humans. Hopefully this will teach it to stay away from people in the future.
What happens if we spray ourselves? It is not pleasant, and it will sting your eyes, nose, throat and skin and may make you cough and gag. This may last up to two days but the effects will eventually go away. People have so much exposed skin (not fur like a bear) so it affects us longer. Read the first aid instructions on your can of bear spray and wash your skin with cool, clean running water. Do not rub if it gets on your skin. PRO TIP: If you get bear spray in your eyes, rinse it out with baby shampoo and water (remember, do not rub)! A small bottle of baby shampoo is a great addition to your first aid kit.
Where should I carry my bear spray? Bear spray should be carried in an easily accessible location such as a chest or hip holster or a belt, not in your backpack! Whatever option works best for you (most efficient and quickest) is recommended and our personal preference is a belt. Here are several types of examples of holsters and belts that are available at Kodiak Wildlife Products and Scat Belt.
It is not enough to just carry it, you need to be mentally prepared to use it and physically able to pull it out and use it in time when necessary. Surprise encounters with bears can happen in under three seconds so you need to be confident, fast and efficient at pulling out your bear spray. PRACTICE removing your bear spray quickly, but stop short of spraying; conserve your supply for close encounters. See more practice suggestions below.
Does bear spray expire? YES! Be sure to check the expiry date on your can as bear spray normally expires after 2-3 years. In addition to checking the expiry date on the can, be sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions on the back of the can for proper use of your spray.
Make sure your bear spray is not expired!
Why does bear spray expire? Bear spray is made with capsaicin, a chili pepper extract, and it's not the potency of the spray that diminishes over time. It is actually the propellant that may degrade over time and there may not be enough pressure in the can to effectively spray and distance, you might just get a dribble!
Should you use expired bear spray? NO! It is recommend that you replace your expired bear spray to avoid a situation like this. There is no guarantee that expired bear spray will work properly and you want to give yourself the greatest chance of successfully deterring a bear if/when the time comes.
Should you practice with real bear spray? It is not recommended to practice using actual bear spray as once the seal is broken, small leaks can occur in the can, possibly reducing the performance of the bear spray.
That being said, if you have an expired can of bear spray that you are planning on disposing of properly anyway, it may be a good opportunity for you to practice using real (expired) bear spray. However, if you are going to do this, make sure that you go to an isolated location far away from other people and houses (I.E. NOT IN YOUR BACKYARD, AT YOUR CAMPSITE OR ALONG A TRAIL)! Also make sure you take wind direction into account so that you don’t spray yourself.
The safest way to practice using bear spray is to buy inert training bear spray, which is what we use for our bear spray training sessions as there are no harmful effects if you accidentally spray some on yourself.
How do I dispose of expired cans? In Canmore, you can take expired bear spray to the Household Hazardous Waste area (near paint and light bulbs waste) at the 115 Boulder Crescent Recycling Depot (open every day 8:00 - 16:45). Most cities and communities have Household Hazardous Waste drop-of areas. Never put cans of bear spray in your garbage bins at home! Some designated fire stations in certain communities may accept them (maybe call first and check).
Should I leave my bear spray in my car? NO! It is important to remember not to leave your bear spray in the car on a hot day as it may explode. If you must leave your bear spray in the car, store it in a bear spray safety travel container and out of direct sunlight. When not in use, bear spray should be stored indoors in a safe place out of reach of children.
An example of bear spray that exploded in a car on a hot day. It was messy!
How do I use bear spray? Watch this video on How to Properly Use Bear Spray which is available with subtitles in ten languages.
Factors influencing 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. 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
Bear spray could save your life, your friend’s life and also a bear’s life! Carry it year-round!
WEEKLY WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WHEREABOUTS
In case you have not seen them yet, our amazing Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors have been heading out onto trails and trailheads to talk to people about responsible trail use and staying safe while recreating in bear country. Note: the locations they go to may change at the last minute. Here is where they will be next…
August 5-7
Folk Fest - Biosphere Institute Booth
Folk Fest Family Stage on August 7 from 12:00-12:45pm
Keep an eye out for the Wildlife Ambassadors next time you are out on the trails in the Bow Valley and K-Country and be sure to say hi and have a chat with them!
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
A bold black bear prompts warning in Banff campground.
Injured grizzly bear forces closure of K-Country trails.
Watch this incredible video of a grizzly bear catching and killing a moose in Alaska.
Committee endorses proposal around waste bins to prevent bear interactions in Calgary.
Bear concerns in Banff National Park prompt trail closures and restrictions.
A B.C. black bear caught on camera steals a golf bag from a bewildered golfer.
8-year-old boy was attacked by a cougar in Olympic National Park.
A black bear was spotted taking a dip in a Burbank hot tub in California.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Fruit trees are the main attractants that will draw bears into residential areas and NOW is the time to remove the fruit before a bear points out the problem. Leaving fruit (such as crabapple, mountain ash, chokecherry and dogwood) in your trees can attract bears into residential areas, putting bears and people at risk. The best practice is to remove fruit bearing trees and shrubs from your yard, however if you decide to keep your fruit bearing trees and shrubs, please ensure the fruit is removed BEFORE it is ripe!
These are common fruits/berries that attract bears into residential areas (pictured clockwise from top left); Chokecherry, Crabapples, Dogwood and Mountain Ash.
If you prefer to remove your fruit tree (recommended), the Town of Canmore is running their voluntary fruit tree removal incentive program again. Homeowners are invited to express their interest in participating in the program which will cover 100% of the pre-tax cost of removal of the fruit tree(s) or bush(es) by an arborist or tree removal service up to $500/property. The program is first-come first-served while funds are available. Click here for more details.
If you are renting or live in a condo complex, please contact your landlord or condo board/association and notify them if there are trees with fruits and berries on the property so they can arrange to either remove the trees or ensure the fruit is removed. If you can’t reach that fruit up in the tree, no problem! We have pruning shears and extendable pole saw pruners and fruit pickers that can be borrowed (free of charge) to assist Bow Valley residents in removing fruit and berry bushes from their property. Please send an email to resource@biosphereinstitute.org to make arrangements to borrow the fruit removal equipment.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
To help kick off our Keep Wildlife Alive Ambassador Project and to show that Canmore is doing their part to reduce wildlife attractants within our community, we recently partnered with our friends at the Town of Canmore and Alpine Precision Tree Services to remove five mountain ash trees from Friendship Park. It was an incredible day of teamwork to make our community safer for people and wildlife, one tree at a time. Here is a short clip of the event! The plan is to replace these fruit bearing trees with non-fruit bearing alternatives, and with the Town leading by example, we hope that residents are inspired to remove their fruit trees too!
Many thanks to Alpine Precision Tree Services for doing such a fantastic and professional job of removing the trees, and to the Mayor and representatives from the Town’s Sustainability and Municipal Enforcement Departments for coming out and showing their support. The RM Outlook was on-site to cover the story and we look forward to sharing it with you when it is published.
Mountain Ash tree before…
And after…
Keep an eye out for our two amazing Keep Wildlife Alive Ambassadors Anna and Genevieve in their bright yellow shirts, as they go door-to-door and walk the trails in Canmore educating residents about the importance of removing fruit trees (or at a minimum removing the fruit before it is ripe), the Fruit Tree Removal Incentive Program and keeping dogs on a leash.
Many thanks to Defending Awesome (The Print Ninja @defendingawesome) in Banff for supplying our Ambassadors with awesome looking shirts and hats!
Presenting our Keep Wildlife Alive Ambassadors Genevieve (left) and Anna (right).
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