Bear Activity: July 23 to 29, 2010

BEAR SUMMARY FOR THE BOW VALLEY
(Banff National Park to Bow Valley Provincial Park)

For the period July 23 to 29, 2010

The following summary 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.

BEARS CAN BE ENCOUNTERED ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!

Be aware of your surroundings, know how to reduce the likelihood of encounters, and be prepared should an encounter take place. Always use caution by paying attention to signs of bear activity such as scats, tracks, and diggings. Make lots of noise while hiking; hike in groups when possible; carry pepper spray; and obey closures.

Education Tidbit

Well, the buffaloberry season has arrived and it looks pretty good. The next 6 weeks will see both black and grizzly bears in the valley bottoms feeding on the red and orange berries. Ironically, buffaloberries thrive in disturbed areas such as local trails, roadways and facilities. Of course, this is also where the majority of people are. It’s a good idea to keep track of where the good buffaloberry patches are as you move about the valley. These are reliable indicators of where one might expect bear activity – and good areas to avoid. Be aware that bears are not as attentive as you might expect at this time of year – they are focused on eating berries not on you.

Bear Activity Trends

There has been grizzly activity in Canmore Nordic Centre, Quarry/ Grassi Lake, Grassi Corridor, Stewart Creek, TSR Resort, TSR South and Wind Valley Zones this week. Black bears were reported in Harvie Heights/ Benchlands, Canmore Nordic Centre, Bow River, Rundleview, Quarry/ Grassi Lake, Grassi Corridor, TSR Resort, TSR South, Deadmans Flats, Bow Des Arcs, Lac des Arcs, Exshaw and YMCA Zones this week.

Important Notes

Regular black bear sightings continue to occur at the Canmore Nordic Centre and Camp Chief Hector. Please exercise caution when using the trails and make plenty of noise where sightlines are poor. If you see a bear, give it the right of way and leave in the direction you came from.

Bear Cautions/ Closures

Please report all bear sightings to 403-591-7755. For current postings of Bear Warnings and Closures please visit tpr.alberta.ca/parks/kananaskis/trailreport.aspx