Black bears and grizzly bears in Mountain View County have been leaving their dens later than normal this year, as a result of the large amount of snow that fell throughout the winter.
In past years, they have been out of their dens by late March or early April, according to Jane Bicknell, secretary for the Mountain View BearSmart Society. But this year's first bear sighting was April 19.
She believes all bears are out of their dens now.
“We did notice that they were a little slow in coming out, but of course we did have a significant amount of snow this year and it stayed colder a lot longer,” said Bicknell.
“But the grass is starting to green up, things are starting to grow, there's food for them to eat, so they will be out.”
There have been six bear sightings and one cougar sighting so far this year in the county.
“A black bear was up on somebody's deck, but most of them have either just been bear tracks, or a bear has been seen,” she said.
Bears are active throughout the day, as long as the sun is out.
“It's not warm enough for them to kind of sun themselves and take an afternoon nap at this point,” she said.
“Their prime focus is on finding something to eat, because they have been in the den all winter without food.”
People are reminded to put bird feeders away, dispose of garbage properly, and use bear-proof bins if possible.
“We certainly don't want another encounter or have somebody injured, especially don't want another death. We haven't had one for six years and we hope to keep it that way,” she said.
If someone comes across a bear, they are advised to stay out of the bear's way as much as possible.
“If you see a bear and the bear doesn't see you, then your best bet is to back away from that bear. Leave him alone, get out of the area and let him keep doing what he's doing,” she said.
“If a bear sees you, you want to do much the same thing. You want to make sure that you leave the area and allow the bear enough space to leave the area too.”
It is important to travel in groups and make noise while out in the bush, because bears will leave the area if they hear someone coming, she noted.
The society held its 6th annual family day at Elkton Valley Campground, south of Cremona, on May 3.
There were displays on bear biology and behaviour, as well as activities for children. But the turnout was down by about half because of the weather conditions, she said.
Members of the society also hosted bear awareness week in April and presented to students in Sundre, Cremona and Didsbury.
“It's very important that we get our message out this early in the spring, about the time that bears are emerging from their dens,” she said.
“It's primarily just to remind people that bears live in our county and it doesn't matter whether you're hiking or camping or whether you actually live on an acreage or a farm or even in the town of Sundre. Bears can be very close to where you live and work and play.
“And it's not just bears. In Mountain View County there's bears and wolves and cougars out there, so people need to be aware that they do live here.”
Bears generally go into hibernation in October. However, the larger adult males are often still out and about in November.
All bears should be in their dens by late November or early December.
For more information on bears, or to keep up to date with bear sightings in the county, visit www.mountainviewbearsmart.com.
