Bear Report - Nov.3, 2023

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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 (Oct.26-Nov.3, 2023)

(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)

It was another quiet week for bear sightings in the Bow Valley even though they are still out on the landscape. According to GPS collar data, some female grizzly bears have moved up to higher elevations in denning territory and they will likely remain at or near their den sites, but other collared (and non-collared) grizzlies continue to be seen out and about in Kananaskis Country searching for last minute calories. Last weekend a Bear Closure was put in place at Centennial Ridge and Coal Mine Trails from Ribbon Creek Trailhead to top of Mount Allan due to grizzly bears feeding on a carcass. Remote camera and collar data have shown that some males like to stay out on the landscape into mid-December.

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! Remember to carry bear spray in an easily accessible location (not in your backpack), know how to use it and use it if required. Bear spray should be carried year-round and is also effective against other wildlife such as cougars, wolves, coyotes and elk that are all active year-round. It should also be carried along well-traveled trails in and around town.

Bears are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything that is available to them, so please make sure your yard is free of all potential attractants that bears and other wildlife might try to eat! These attractants include fruit (both on trees and on the ground), pumpkins, pet food, bird feeders, garbage and greasy barbecues.

 

Archived photo of a grizzly bear in the snow!

 

Elk rutting season is winding down 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 elk lots of space, at least 30m or 3 school bus lengths, and never try to sneak past them. Never get between a male elk and the female elk and keep pets on a leash.

Bow hunting season is open in the Bow Valley. Due to the nature of the activity, hunters need to be cautious as they are intentionally quiet on the landscape. If you are recreating, please remain alert of your surroundings, avoid dead animals and always carry bear spray. Everyone, including hunters, should remain aware of their surroundings and also be prepared with bear spray and know how to use it!

 

Elk continue to be seen in town along the busy roads. With the snow on the ground and slippery conditions, remember to drive carefully, obey speed limits, and scan for wildlife that may be feeding or lingering roadside.

 
 
 

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

Every time you head out on the trails you need to be vigilant and mentally prepared for possible encounters with wildlife! It is also safer to hike, bike, run, or ski in a group. Make lots of noise when out on the trails, and 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.

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) that you need to be aware of and prepared to encounter while out on the trails.

For more information on areas in the Bow Valley frequented by bears at this time of year visit our post-berry season human-bear conflict summary map.

A cougar family caught on camera at this time of year in 2020. Photo courtesy of Alberta Environment and Parks.

WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM

"BUSTING BEAR MYTHS" BY DEREK RYDER, WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR

Myth: Bears hibernate.

Fact: Maybe, but maybe not. The research is ongoing. Hibernation is defined as a state of greatly reduce metabolic activity and lowered body temperature. “Normal” hibernators have body temperatures approaching 0° C, and almost not detectible heart or brain activity. They can’t “wake up”. Bears aren’t like that. Their body temperature drops only 3°-5°. Moms give birth and nurse in February while they are “hibernating”.

The better current term for the state bears enter into is “torpor”. Torpor is more like just a deep sleep. The heart and respiration slow a bit, but the brain is up and active. Just like you and me, however, no matter how deep a sleep we’re in, things can wake us up. So it is with bears. A warm snap, people skiing by, or giving birth, and bears wake up, albeit groggily.

We start feeling tired before we go to bed. So do bears. Research from Norway shows that bears start to slow down their metabolism up to a month before they den. And, just like us, their metabolism starts to “wake up” almost a month before they officially “wake up” and emerge from their dens.

Still, biologists are now starting to consider what bears do a type of hibernation. The line is still a bit blurry, but it’s better for us to think of their state as the deep sleep of torpor than the near comatose-state of hibernation.

 

Modern day hibernation (or more accurately “Torpor”) for bears…

 

WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS

FOOD FOR THOUGHT?

If you have not already done so, please dispose of your pumpkins properly and do not leave them outside, inviting them to get smashed up by pranksters or eaten by wildlife. You don’t want to attract a visitor to your door after Halloween like in this video. In Canmore, pumpkins should be disposed of in the bear-proof Community Food Waste Containers. Remember to remove candles and other non organic decorations!

 

Please dispose of your pumpkins properly. DO NOT leave them out in your yard!

 

AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS

Making Way for Wildlife! The Golf Course Road in Banff National Park is closed to unauthorized vehicle traffic from November 1st to the end of April to protect an important wildlife corridor. This road passes through the Rundle wildlife corridor, which is part of a larger corridor network. Wolves, cougars and other species use this important corridor. Protecting key wildlife corridors provides wildlife with the space they need to survive. The most productive habitat for humans and wildlife is within the valley bottom where wildlife habitat can become fragmented. Wildlife corridors provide safe travel routes between patches of high-quality habitat. Minimizing human use within key wildlife corridors during the winter, when deep snow limits wildlife movements at higher elevations, helps wildlife access seasonal foods and sustain their populations.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Nov. 8 - Climate Emergency Action Plan Webinar #2 (6:00-7:00 PM)

  • Low Carbon Scenario and Adaptation Actions: Online Presentation and Q+A. Join the Town of Canmore for an interactive online conversation where they will share a potential scenario for dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Canmore along with proposed adaptation actions that can help Canmore proactively prepare and respond to the impacts of climate change. Share your input about the proposed actions and how you think climate action can be implemented in Canmore. Click here to register Now!

Nov. 15 - Bow Valley Storytelling at Wild Life Distillery

 
 

Nov.17 - Biosphere Institute's 2nd Annual Do-Si-Do Square Dance Fundraiser

All are welcome for our second annual Community Square Dance Fundraiser including a silent auction at the Cornerstone Theatre on Friday, November 17, 2023, at 7 pm! Tickets are going fast so buy yours now before they sell out! Last year was an absolute blast, and we look forward to another year of boot-stompin' fun with you all! Dance the night away to an incredible live band and so much laughing your belly will hurt the next day. All funds raised will go to supporting the Biosphere Institute's programs.

 
 

Nov.20 - Earth Talks: There’s a Bear on my Street! A conversation about urban wildlife

Join us for this month's Earth Talk at the Canmore Public Library for a presentation by Wildlife Ambassador Derek Ryder, titled "There's a Bear on my Street! A conversation about urban wildlife." This talk will take place on Monday November 20, 2023 in the Friends Program Room at the Canmore Public Library at 7:00pm. Registration is required!

Come on out and learn about:

  • Encountering bears and other wildlife in the wilderness vs. having them in the urban environment

  • Strategies that could help in preventing bear removal or relocation

  • What you should do if there’s wildlife (like a bear) in YOUR neighbourhood

We’ll also have a question period and discussion. Some things we look forward to discussing are:

  • How do you think we SHOULD be dealing with urban wildlife?

  • Is the argument that “the wildlife was here first” a valid one?

  • How can we continue to improve human wildlife coexistence? What are the barriers/opportunities?

 
 

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