Bears are out in force now, although the spring rain that has kept the high grasslands nice and green has meant fewer bears wandering into towns in search of food.
“That grass has a high nutrient content this time of year,” says Frank Ritcey, provincial coordinator for WildSafeBC. “Bears like to eat that when they come out of hibernation.
“When the spring is nice and cool, bears stay out of trouble, and the longer we have good, natural food out there, the less conflict we’ll have. But people can’t be complacent.”
He says that birdseed is a major attractant for bears because of its high calorie content. “There’s lots of natural food out there for birds now, so bring feeders in and put the seed away,” says Ritcey.
He says that garbage is far and away the main attractant for bears who come into urban areas, and urges people not to put their garbage out early. Minimizing the length of time it sits curbside awaiting pick-up timewill discourage bears from turning your bin into a buffet.
Between 2009 and 2013 in B.C., garbage was identified as the prime attractant in 19,901 cases where bears came into built-up areas. Fruit trees were the prime attractant in 4,743 cases, pets were involved in 3,529 cases, and bird feeders were involved in 1,956 cases.
Ritcey also has advice for walkers and hikers who take to the back country and want to avoid bear encounters.
“More than 50 per cent of the maulings by black bears involve dogs in some way. It’s hard to say what caused the encounters, but that’s a disproportionately high number of attacks, since only 30 per cent of the population own dogs.” His advice is for anyone with dogs to keep them on a leash and on the trail.
Other tips for those out in the back country include avoiding areas where there are bushes loaded with berries (or going there in the heat of the day, when bears are likely to be napping); being vigilant when walking beside running water, through thick bush, or when there is a strong breeze blowing, as bears might not hear you; being on the lookout for signs of bears in the area, such as fresh scat, tracks, signs of grazing, overturned logs, claw marks on trees, etc.; talking or singing to let bears know you are in the area; never hiking alone; and carrying bear spray.
Ritcey advises anyone who has a defensive or aggressive encounter with a bear to call 1-877-952-7277, a 24-hour line where they can report the incident.
“It’s really important to get the information out, because the next person on the trail will want to know if there is a defensive or aggressive bear in the area.”
The BC Conservation Officer Service logs all the calls, which then go on the WildSafeBC website (https://wildsafebc.com/warp/), which is updated every 24 hours. As of the time of writing, there have been no bears reported in or near Ashcroft, Cache Creek, or Clinton so far this year, but a cougar was spotted near the mesa in Ashcroft and reported on May 24.
Ritcey says that if there are concerns about a bear encounter that is called in to the 24-hour number, the Conservation Officer Service will take appropriate action. “Maybe they’ll just monitor the situation, but if there is a threat to human safety the bear might have to be put down.
“Knowledge is power,” he adds. “If you know there is a bear with cubs in the area, don’t go there.”
