So far this year, there have been relatively few sightings of bears or occurrences involving them, according to Mountain View BearSmart Society (MVBS) president Paul Fraser.
According to statistics provided by MVBS, last year there were 53 sightings of bears or occurrences involving them in Mountain View County. As of this past week, 11 had been recorded this year.
According to the MVBS, an encounter includes some level of conflict between bears and people where the Fish and Wildlife department has to get involved. Fish and Wildlife officials call that an “occurrence.”
Examples include when livestock has been killed or when bears have got into unsecured garbage or non-bear-proof Dumpsters.
“While we get info on those encounters/occurrences from Fish and Wildlife to post on the website, most of what we receive is sightings of bears in yards, crossing roads, photographed by a trail camera, footprints in snow or mud,” Fraser and MVBS secretary Jane Bicknell say.
Fraser has a theory as to why sightings and occurrences appear to be lower this year.
“We had a much milder winter, so the bears were able to find food higher up where they are during the winter, so they haven't had to come down as far into the rural areas as normal,” he says.
“Some years, if the snow's really deep, they have to come further east to find food. This year, they were good because there was lots of food up in the high country.”
Fraser and Mountain View BearSmart secretary Jane Bicknell had a booth at the recent annual Crime Watch Crime Prevention Trade Show at the Olds Legion. It was organized by the Olds and District Rural Crime Watch Association.
Fraser has some suggestions on what to look for if you're trying to avoid bears.
“If you're looking for a grizzly bear, you're looking for a big shoulder hump and you're looking for the long claws,” he says. “Black bears don't have a big shoulder hump and they have short claws.”
Don't rely on the colour of their fur to tell the difference. Fraser says grizzlys and black bears can both be the same colour.
If you see tracks in the ground, there's an easy way to tell the difference.
“With a black bear, the toe print is in a big arch, whereas with the grizzly bear it's flat,” Fraser says.
“And then the claw marks – the claw impressions are quite a ways distance from the toe, the end of the toe in a grizzly bear, because of the long claws. (With) a black bear, the claw imprints will be really close to where the toe imprints are.”
Fraser points out bears are “very opportunistic,” so situations can arise where they'll encounter people as they search for food.
“They'll eat whatever they can find, whether it's grass, dandelions, bird feed from people with their bird seeds out. They look for dog food; there's garbage,” he says.
Fraser says bears rarely travel as far east as Olds in their search for food.
“We've had black bears come as far east as Olds on rare occasions. Not too much. But they'll follow the creeks and the rivers and they'll end up in Olds,” he says. “All of a sudden they'll look up and ‘oh my God, we're here in Olds.' But for the most part (they don't come that far east).”
Fraser recommends bringing bear spray and/or an air horn if you're in bear country.
“Bear spray's good. But don't have it in your backpack. If you're going to carry bear spray, you should have it in a holster on your belt or in your hand,” he says.
Fraser says air horns are effective too.
If you don't have an air horn, Fraser says you can sing or whistle as you walk.
“All you want to do is you want to let the bear know that you're in the area – your presence – so you don't surprise them.”
He says the best thing to do is to travel in groups.
“But if you are alone, if you must travel alone, then carry an air horn or carry bear spray.”
However, he warns bear spray is only effective if the bear is close.
This Saturday, Mountain View County BearSmart officials will be at the Elkton Valley Campground to educate people about bears and wildlife in general.
"Some years, if the snow's really deep, they have to come further east to find food. This year, they were good because there was lots of food up in the high country."PAUL FRASER PRESIDENT MOUNTAIN VIEW BEARSMART SOCIETY
