Bear Activity: July 6 to 12, 2012

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

For the Period: July 6 to 12, 2012

Bear Activity Trends

There was black bear activity reported in Canmore Nordic Centre, Quarry/ Grassi lake, Rundleview, TSR Resort, Bow River, Alpine Club, Bow Flats zones this week. Grizzly bear activity was reported in  Canmore Golf Course, TSR Resort, Quarry/ Grassi Lake, Grassi Corridor zones this week.

Education Tidbit

It’s that time of the year again when bears, both black and grizzly, congregate in the valley bottoms for the ‘berry’ season. The species of choice is, of course, buffaloberry. If you want to know where bears are going to be for the next 2 months, look for patches of buffaloberry. This is their main food source for July and August and these berries are just begining to ripen in the Bow Valley this week. The berries are still green in the Kananaskis valley but in a week or two they will also be ripe and bear activity will increase wherever buffaloberry patches occur. Learn to recognize what these shrubs look like and be extra cautious when travelling through areas with buffaloberry present.

Please report all bear sightings to 403 591 7755.

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 digging. Make lots of noise while hiking; hike in groups when possible; carry pepper spray; and obey closures.

The above 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.