BEAR ACTIVITY SUMMARY FOR THE BOW VALLEY
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park) For the period: October 2 to October 9, 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
Happy Thanksgiving! With the upcoming long weekend, the trails and day use areas will likely be busy with visitors and it is important that everyone remains vigilant and mentally prepared for possible encounters as bears and other wildlife are still very active in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country! Know before you go - find out where the trail warnings and closures are and make sure you know how to use your bear spray and where to carry it!
Bears will continue to actively search for food for the next month to pack on those extra few pounds before heading into their dens for the winter. As such, they will be intensely focused on eating (and not paying attention to what is going on around them) which increases the chance of surprise encounters. Several bears have moved up into alpine areas to dig for roots so be cautious if you are trying to squeeze in one last alpine hike in search of larches before winter.
Photo by Reemuv Yorfruut
Bears are also being drawn into residential areas on both sides of the valley by people allowing fruit and berries to accumulate on trees in their yards. Leaving fruit in your trees and bushes can attract bears into town, putting bears and people at risk. These bears can cause injury to people and pets and destroy property, resulting in bears being relocated or destroyed. Relocated bears generally have a fairly low chance of survival, but moving a bear in the fall is especially difficult for the bear.
Please do your part in keeping wildlife WILD and outside of residential areas by removing attractants such as fruit (both on trees and on the ground), bird feeders, grease on barbecues, pet food and garbage from your yard. Many hands make light work, so if you have family or friends visiting this weekend, have them help pick the fruit from your yard. The fruit can be used to make delicious jams, jellies and baked goods and liqueurs! If you have unwanted crabapples, please contact Core Values Cider Co. at info@corevaluescider.ca or by phone at 403-493-5441. Their team will be happy to take them off your hands and will even help with fruit removal.
In a continued effort to reduce conflict between bears and people in Canmore, the Town of Canmore has a wildlife attractant bylaw, and they are running a Voluntary Fruit Tree Removal Incentive Program to help increase compliance. People can be fined for letting fruit and berries accumulate on trees and on the ground in their yards. Click here to view and download the bylaw. More information and details about how to participate in the Voluntary Fruit Tree Removal Incentive Program can be found here on their website.
Elk continue to be seen along trails (especially along the river) and in wide open fields such as school yards and playing fields around town, which means you may have to choose an alternate route while out for a walk/run/ride. Give plenty of space to ALL ELK (at least 30 metres or 3 bus lengths) as they are very unpredictable at this time of year. Do not try to sneak past them on the trail! Male elk will be particularly protective of the female elk they are with and they may become aggressive towards anything that comes too close. Keep your pets on a leash and if an elk charges (usually because you are much too close), be prepared to use your bear spray. Try to move behind a large object (e.g. car, large tree) and keep the object between you and the elk.
Photo courtesy of Alberta Environment and Parks
There was a recent bear attack in southern K-Country which can serve as a learning experience for the rest of us; luckily the hiker only suffered minor injuries and was able to walk back to safety. You can read about the incident by clicking here, but the main lessons we took away from this are:
All trail users, especially mountain bikers who travel quickly, need to be making LOTS of noise to alert bears that humans are around and to give the bears a chance to move away from the trail. Your voice is the best noise maker you have.
Stay on trails and out of closed areas, and avoid areas where active bear warnings are in place, or where bears have recently been seen.
Hike in a group and stay close together. Not only are you more intimidating for wildlife, but you naturally will make more noise and it is much safer.
Be aware of your surroundings - keep your eyes up and scan for wildlife, or signs of wildlife in the area such as tracks and scat (it is also recommended to not wear earbuds or headphones).
Carry bear spray in a very easily accessible location, not in your backpack, and be prepared to use it! Close range surprise encounters such as this one can happen in under 3 seconds so it is crucial to be able to pull out and use you bear spray quickly and effectively, ideally in under 2 seconds.
CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
Click here for the complete list of all Alberta Parks warnings and closures in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country.
Click here for the complete list of all warnings and closures in Banff National Park.
Here is a list of some Annual Closures in Kananaskis Country.
Click here for current information from Alberta Parks about visiting their parks during COVID-19. Click here for current information from Parks Canada about visiting their parks during COVID-19.
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 results are in and the crowned champion of Fat Bear Week is 747! Aptly named for a jumbo jet and possessing excellent angling skills, this dominant male bear is estimated to weigh over 1,400 pounds (640 kg) and is likely one of the largest bears on the planet. To put this into perspective, the largest grizzly bear in our area, The Boss, weighs around 600 pounds, making him two and a half times smaller than 747! You can view the results and meet all the contenders by clicking here.
The Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley is seeking new Board members with an appreciation for community building and an understanding of environmental issues in the Bow Valley, particularly human-wildlife coexistence and climate change. Deadline for applications is Tuesday, October 20.
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