With bears now coming out of hibernation in West Central Alberta, Sundre Fish and Wildlife officers are asking for public tips regarding possible illegal bear baiting.
Black bear baiting typically involves the use of a 45-gallon oil drum cut open and filled with bait to attract bears. Hunters then wait near the barrels for the bears.
Although black bear baiting is allowed in some areas of the province, it is not permitted in wildlife management units (WMU) 318 and 320 west of Highway 22, or in the 400-number WMUs further west.
As well, it is illegal to bait or otherwise hunt grizzly bears anywhere in Alberta.
“We are asking anybody, whether it's oilfield workers or the general public, if they see someone out there dragging or pushing old 45-gallon drums into the bush or dragging them into the bush with quads (in the prohibited areas) to call us,” said Sundre-based Fish and Wildlife officer Adam Mirus.
“The concern is they could be baiting grizzly bears, because grizzly bears could come to the bait. We don't want people baiting black bears in those areas because of the chance they could bait grizzly bears. We did have photos of grizzlies at black bear bait barrels in this area last year and in previous years.”
Although black bear baiting is allowed during the general black bear hunting season, which runs from April 1 to May 31 this year, there are restrictions, including the following:
• Baiting is prohibited within 1.6 kilometres of an occupied dwelling or within 1.6 kilometres of a provincial park.
• Each bait site must be posted with surrounding signs to warn other people of its presence.
• Each bait site must have a readily observable sign legibly showing the owner's name, WIN number, big game outfitter-guide permit number or big game guide designation number.
• Baiting is restricted to the open season and the preceding two weeks in each specific WMU.
It is unlawful to allow the skin of any bear taken to be wasted, destroyed, spoiled or abandoned, or to hunt a black bear under the age of one year or a female bear accompanied by a cub under the age of one year.
The province does allow the shooting of black bears on private land by authorized persons.
Regulations regarding that exception read, in part: “Anyone who is the owner or occupant of privately owned land, or authorized to keep livestock on public land, or a resident authorized by a person described (above), or a resident authorized in writing by a person described (above) may, without a licence, hunt (but not trap) black bear or coyote on such lands, at all times of the year.”
Meanwhile, with bears in the district now coming out of hibernation, Fish and Wildlife officers are also asking people to remove bird feeders and other attractants from around their homes and properties, he said.
“Take down the feeders that you may have had out during the winter,” he said. “Keep track of your garbage and be proactive about it because we do get bears coming to garbage.
“And of course they (bears) can become habituated to bird feeders and it doesn't matter if the feeder is empty or full; if they've been rewarded by eating out of a bird feeder before they are going to come to it no matter what.
“Because the bears are coming out of hibernation they are going to be very transient looking for food. So that could be grain and other stuff as well.”
Mirus says residents and visitors can visit the Mountain View BearSmart Society website, at www.mountainviewbearsmart.com, for updates on bear sightings and to report sightings themselves.
