Editor: With the second relocation of bear 148 and people constantly ignoring closures in the area, we are in a situation where the very presence of bears on our landscape is being threatened.
Conservation officers are taking an increasingly intolerant approach to bears in the Bow Valley and when those bears do visit, they are harassed by people ignoring legal closures.
As a naturalist and guide, I wanted to share some tips for keeping both us and the bears safe during buffalo berry season.
Current closures are likely just the start of numerous closures over the next six to eight weeks as buffalo berry season progresses. Buffalo berries only grow in the low valleys of the montane ecoregion and Canmore and Banff occupy much of the available habitat.
As a portion of our mountain landscape, the montane only accounts for around four per cent of the total area and people have impacted 80 per cent of that. The bears are in the townsite areas not out of choice, but out of necessity. The berries only live in these low valleys and Banff and Canmore sprawl across them.
The many trails and artificial openings in the forest canopy we have created also allow these sun-loving berries to thrive.
This correlation between openings in the canopy and buffalo berries is also why most of our low elevation trails are absolutely lined with this bear buffet.
As the berry season arrives, bears go through a hormonal change called hyperphagia. It’s basically a hormonal imperative to binge. Essentially, they’re completely out of it so they’re not the vigilant animal that we’re used to encountering.
As a result, we need to be vigilant for the bear. If you’re jogging with earbuds in, or riding fast and quiet, it’s very easy to have an unwanted close encounter at this time of year. Slow down and pay attention.
Sometimes the best way to spot a feeding bear is to not look for the bear, look for a bush that is moving when none of the others are. You may spot a bear that is hidden by foliage.
There are still hundreds of open trails in the area. Just think high. When the bears head to the valley, you should head to higher elevation trails like Ha Ling, Lady Macdonald, Heart Mountain, Tunnel Mountain, Edith and Cory Pass.
It doesn’t mean you won’t encounter a bear, but you can dramatically shift the odds in your favour by moving into areas they are less likely to be currently frequenting.
I teach people to reduce their chances of bear encounters by knowing their seasonal foods. If you know what they’re eating, when they’re eating it and how much of it they’re eating, then just by what’s around you, you can have a good idea of when to anticipate an encounter, and when to be extra vigilant.
Make sure your bear spray is on your body and that you know how to use it. If it’s on your bike or backpack and you become separated, then you don’t have bear spray.
If the area has a warning or closure, try to go somewhere else. If you do hike or bike in an area with a warning, make far more noise than usual to make sure zoned-out bears hear your approach. The bears will thank you for it.
Let’s stay safe out there and help the bears stay safe as well so we don’t see any more relocations. Bear 148 is just the canary in the coalmine.
If we can’t keep bears safe in the existing corridors, then there is no point fighting for additional ones.
We as a community need to make some serious decisions. This is not the time to be building new trails adjacent to already compromised primary wildlife corridors.
Ward Cameron,
Canmore
