Author Archives: WildSmart

Wildlife Activity

There have been several sightings of coyotes in the Cougar Creek residential area (near Elizabeth Rummel, Grizzly Crescent, Silvertip Crescent). Please ensure dog food, garbage, recycling and other wildlife attractants are removed from your property. Food scraps left out for birds and rabbits are also an attractant for coyotes.

There was one cougar sighting in southeast Canmore in February. A local wildlife tracker recently found cougar tracks in the Three Sisters and Wind Valley areas. He noted that when the weather is cold and snow deep, ungulates prefer south-facing, wind blown slopes. Wind Ridge and Pigeon Mountain offer these advantages and have traditionally been great places for them in the past. The slopes along the north side of the Bow Valley, Mt Lady McDonald and Grotto Mountain are typically used by wintering ungulates and as a result receive increased use by carnivores. Golf courses in the valley also provide good foraging areas and afford a level of predation protection due to human presence.

Skoki, a collared wolf who frequents Banff National Park, has been spending a significant amount of time in the Kananaskis Valley, but has yet to make an appearance in the Bow Valley.

There have been numerous reports in the past few weeks of a coyote with an injured leg near the Canmore Nordic Centre.

A cougar killed a big horn sheep in one of the day use areas. Please continue to keep dogs on leash as they may be attracted to the scent of carcasses.

Elk have been seen on and near the Trans Canada highway recently. The cattle guards filled with snow from recent snowfall and elk were able to travel over them and access areas adjacent to the highway. The cattle guards have been cleared but drivers should be aware that elk and deer may gain access to areas of the highway that have been fenced. Always watch for wildlife and drive the speed limit as you travel through the Bow Valley.

There have been no reports of bears in the Bow Valley in recent weeks and we are well into the winter season. The exact timing of denning varies with sex, age, reproductive status, location, weather. Bears tend to search out an appropriate den location when food resources diminish, temperatures drop, snow falls, and daylight becomes shorter. Time to excavate a den. Bear sightings in January are rare although they have been reported. Winter recreationists should still be aware of their surroundings, make noise and keep bear spray close and in a warm location in case of conflict with other wildlife such as coyotes and cougars.

No sightings of cougars or coyotes have been reported recently. Both coyote and cougars are active in the winter and move through the Bow Valley frequently in search of food sources such as deer and elk. In the past, both species have been known to take off-leash dogs. Keep pets and children close by when in your yard and on the trail.

Wildlife Activity
It appears the spring/summer season is behind by 2- 3 weeks. Please continue to expect to encounter ungulates, particularly elk and deer, with newborn calves. Over the past few weeks, we have been receiving reports of aggressive encounters with elk and of orphaned or injured deer fawns. Give these animals space as they can be quite protective of their young, and may perceive you to be a threat. Newborns will spend much time alone in their early days and will appear lifeless in order to avoid detection by predators. Hence, the well-meaning reports received by the public that a fawn has been ‘orphaned’ or is injured. Please do not touch or approach these calves, as they have likely been left alone while their mother continues to feed nearby. Off leash dogs can easily kill newborn calves. Please keep your dogs on a leash.
Birds are also still nesting at this time. Off-leash or free-ranging cats are responsible for a large portion of young bird mortality. Please keep your cats indoors.
Incidents of deer and elk mortality on the highways have been occurring on a regular basis throughout the Bow Valley. Obey speed limits and watch for wildlife on the roads.