Grizzly and black bears are currently active in Mountain View County, requiring residents and visitors to take precautions, says an area wildlife biologist.
“If you're out in bear country what you want to do is you want to make lots of noise and let the bear know you're there,” said Paul Fraser, wildlife biologist and chairman of the Mountain View BearSmart Society.
“You don't want to surprise a bear. If you surprise a bear, chances are somebody is going to get hurt.”
The society put on its fifth annual BearSmart presentation at Elkton Valley Campground, south of Cremona, on April 20.
The event included presentations from society officials and Mark Hoskin, a Sundre-Olds Fish and Wildlife officer. There were also various activities for children.
Fraser said the event was held to educate people about bears in the area, how to recognize them and appropriate responses if a bear is encountered.
“If you do see a bear – hopefully you'll see him from a distance – and then you just want to move away, give him space to leave,” he said.
“If they don't have that element of surprise, they will know you're there and they will try to leave as well. They don't want to encounter you either.”
An essential thing people can do to avoid bear encounters is to remove any attractants surrounding their homes and properties, he said.
“Garbage, bird feeders, compost, fruit-bearing trees, these will all attract bears into an area and so we want to try to minimize the attractants,” he said.
Bears began to come out of hibernation in March and will begin to go back into hibernation by late October or early November, he said.
They are most active during the months of July, August and September, because they are preparing for hibernation and it's berry season, he said.
In 2007, a hunter in the Sundre area came across a grizzly bear with her cubs and was killed, he said.
Another similar incident occurred shortly after.
In response, area residents and Fish and Wildlife officers created the Mountain View BearSmart Society to better educate people about bears in the area, he said.
“People weren't aware of how far east bears come,” he said.
As well as hosting the annual BearSmart event, the society has also been giving awareness presentations at schools and to various industries, he said.
There are currently about 270 area residents that receive bear activity reports from the society and anyone is welcome to request them, he said.
To report bear sightings, visit www.mountainviewbearsmart.com/bear_activity_report.php.
