As more people take to trails and campgrounds for recreation close to home, wildlife experts are reminding hikers and campers to be vigilant of bears and other animals in the bush.
With recent incidents, including the death of Waiparous resident David Lertzman who was trail-running when a bear attack sent him over a 300-metre embankment and a close encounter by Okotoks resident Eric Macapus with a bear and her cub while hiking in Waterton on April 17, bear safety has been front-of-mind for wildlife experts.
Jay Honeyman, human-wildlife conflict biologist for Alberta Environment and Parks, said it’s important to be aware of one’s surroundings, particularly when taking to trails in the foothills or mountains, and to come prepared with items like bear spray at the ready.
“Any trail systems as you go west of Okotoks is bear country and wildlife in general,” said Honeyman. “So the chance of seeing wildlife, both carnivores and things like deer and elk, is pretty good.”
He said by mid-May, there’s a good chance most bears are out of their dens, with the exception of sows with cubs, or grizzlies, which may be further west where there is still ample snow in the mountains.
At this time of year, as the snow begins to melt and the lower regions of the foothills and mountain areas green up, he said it’s common to find bears coming down in search of food and the chances of bear-human encounters are higher.
As the snow begins to melt higher in elevation and on the northern slopes of the hills and mountains, bears will follow new green growth until early July, when the berries pop up in valley areas and draw them back down, he said.
“A lot of the trail systems have got those berry bushes along the trails and that’s where you end up with people and bears interacting a lot again, because of the food availability,” said Honeyman.
Depending on why you’re heading into the great outdoors, there are ways to prepare for crossing paths with wildlife before you even leave the house, he said.
Hiking
Hikers are best off travelling in groups, said Honeyman. Most reported incidents with bears tend to happen with smaller groups or solitary recreationists.
“As the group size increases you tend to see less encounters and that’s probably because a larger group size is generally making a lot more noise,” he said.
Making noise on the trail is an important part of staying safe.
While some use bear bells attached to backpacks or trekking sticks, the constant clanging of the bells can be annoying to fellow hikers over a number of hours, he said. The sounds made by the bells also don’t carry as well as human voices.
Honeyman said the recommendation is for people walking down trails with poor sightlines or near creeks that make noise to yell or make other loud noises.
“Just give a little shout – ‘Hey, bear!’ or just whistle,” he said. “Make some kind of noise so that if there are any wildlife in the immediate area, they hear you.
“Generally what happens is the wildlife will just move on, and you’ll walk by and that will be the end of it. You won’t even know there’s anything there.”
Most attacks or close calls occur when wildlife are surprised because they didn’t see or hear humans approaching, he said.
“From a wildlife perspective, they can perceive people as being a threat and they’ll either run away or they’ll try to remove that threat,” said Honeyman. “Removing the threat is making the person go quiet, and sometimes they do that by contacting the person. It’s rare, but it does happen.”
While it’s not necessary to make noise all day long or in certain areas like meadows with clear sightlines, he said people need to pay attention to what’s around them.
Coming up on berry bushes and seeing bear scat with berries in it is a good indication there are animals in the area and that some noise needs to be made while passing through, he said.
People who bring dogs on the trail are advised to keep them on-leash, because if they bark at a bear they can be perceived as a threat, and if the bear takes off after the dog, the pet could return to its owner with an aggravated animal on its tail, he said.
Hikers are advised to carry bear spray with them if they plan on doing any kind of recreation in bear country.
“It’s an effective tool that anybody can use and carry, and if you’re coming out to hike in the foothills or mountains we strongly recommend carrying bear spray,” said Honeyman.
Each person in a group should carry their own can for protection, and even children can use the spray if they are taught how to carry it safely, he said.
If people are jogging or biking along the trails, he said it’s important to be even more vigilant because runners and cyclists will be moving faster than hikers and often quieter, making it more likely for surprise encounters with bears.
“That’s not to say you can’t be doing it, but you do need to be on your toes a little more,” said Honeyman.
Camping
Anyone heading out to spend weekends in Kananaskis Country or mountain region campgrounds should be aware of what to do with food at campsites when unattended and at night, said Honeyman.
Those who take a vehicle to their site should leave food in their vehicle during the day if they take off for hikes or other activities, he said.
“Never leave the food unattended at campsites,” said Honeyman.
He said many campgrounds in the mountains, and several back-country sites, have bear-proof lockers for those who are backpacking or cycling to securely store food.
“Go easy on yourself and take those campsites that have systems in place already that allow you to securely store food away from wildlife,” said Honeyman.
Residential areas
Acreage owners in the foothills and mountain areas need to take certain precautions to keep hungry bears at bay, said Honeyman.
While properties that are in riparian areas, wetlands or along creeks are natural corridors for wildlife, he said being visited frequently by the same bears can mean there’s a food source they’ve found and remembered, making the property a mainstay on their summer circuit.
“That feeding is often related to unnatural attractants, so it could be things like garbage, bird feeders, chicken coops, pet food left out on decks, and beehives,” said Honeyman. “The thing is to try to not make any of that stuff available to bears.”
He said electric fencing is effective for protecting chicken coops and beehives, and taking down feeders in the summer when birds can find other food sources is a good practice.
For more information on bear safety, how to properly use bear spray and ways to back out of an accidental wildlife encounter visit Alberta Bear Smart or Bow Valley Wildsmart.
