Bear Activity: October 1 to 7, 2010

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

For the Period: October 1 to October 7, 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 digging. Make lots of noise while hiking; hike in groups when possible; carry pepper spray; and obey closures.

Education Tidbit

Fall is upon us and with this nice weather activity on trails and in the backcountry will be high. The berry season is over in the valley and grizzly bears have tended to move to higher elevations following the remaining buffaloberries. Black bears, however, are still active in the valley and on the lookout for other sources of foods. Historically at this time of year, ornamental fruit-bearing trees become a common target. In the Bow Valley this includes primarily apple and crabapple trees. Bears in backyards climbing and destroying trees is not a good thing. The best solution is to replace these trees with something that does not bear fruit. Second best is to remove the fruit from the trees as soon as possible and not let the fruit hang on the trees for very long. Rotting fruit lying around on the ground is easy pickings and highly desirable.

Bear Activity Trends

There has been no grizzly bear activity reported in the valley over the past week. Black bear activity, however, has been reported in Exshaw, North Canmore, South Canmore, Rundleview, Bow River and the TSR Resort Zones (see Zone Reference Map on the webpage).

Important Notes

On these beautiful Fall days be aware of bear activity in the valley. Fruit trees have become a favorite target and it is important to remove the fruit from the trees so as to not attract unwanted animals into your yard. Consider helping a neighbor remove their fruit- it can be a big job. Please exercise caution when using any trails in these areas 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 and 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