We asked the Boys and Girls Club to share their BearSmart know-how. Check out their responses here, followed by the actual BearSmart answers: Question: What do you do if you see a bear in a tree?
• Stay calm and then after a while probably run back home! – Morgan P.
• You should walk away slowly. If the bear is chasing you, then you have to find somewhere the bear can’t get. – Shayla D.
Answer: If you see a bear, but it doesn’t see you, don’t attract attention. Leave the way you came and retreat slowly while keeping your eye on the bear. Never run. If you must move forward, give the bear a wide berth. Stay quiet and alert. Have your bear spray ready. Question: What would you do if you came across a bear in the woods?
• Hide in your house away from the bear. – Finbar W.
• Pull out bear blaster and shoot it in the area and bear will run away. – Bailey S.
• Play dead. Run for your life. Bring a dog at all times. Stay in your house. – Cameron W.
• Jump off a cliff. Bring a cat just in case. Bring a clown and an elephant to scare the bear. – Logan P.
• Yell. Use bear spray. – Jordan P. Question: What should you do if you see bear cubs?
• You should walk slowly away and make lots of noise. – Faith B.
• Probably stay calm and back away. Don’t run away! – Rylee G.
Answer: If you see a bear in the wild and the bear also sees you, do not run. Look around for cubs or an animal carcass. If you see bear cubs, momma bear is probably nearby. Prepare to use your bear spray and back out in a safe direction, looking for safe places to hide in case the bear charges (e.g., thick bushes, vehicle). Speak to the bear in a soft, low voice to let the bear know that you are human and not a prey animal.
Question: What do you do if a bear charges you?
• Depends on the bear. Black bear, make a lot of noise and brown or grizzly bear, play dead. – Rachelyn P.
• Run! Or actually squirt bug spray and that will give you time to run away. – Morgan D.
• Punch it in the nose! – Maeghan J.
Answer: Back away slowly and give space as soon as you see a bear. If a bear charges you, do not run. A bear may come very close to you when making a bluff charge and it may make more than one bluff charge. Remember that bluff charges are to communicate that you’ve invaded the bear’s space and it wants you to move off. The majority of bluff charges do not end with the bear making contact.
If the bear does make contact, play dead. Cover the back of your neck with your hands. Lie on your stomach with your legs anchored in the ground. If the bear rolls you over, roll back on to your stomach. Don’t move until you’re sure the bear has left the area.
If you think the bear is going to bite you, the attack may have turned predatory. In this case, fight with all means at your disposal (e.g., bear spray, sticks, rocks, pocket knives, etc.). Look big and shout at the bear. Use your noisemaker and bear spray. Fight back as forcefully as you can.
Question: What can we do to keep our campsites safe?
• Put up a trap. Put food away. – Jaylyn W.
• Bear/pepper spray. Don’t leave food out. Make lots of noise. – Delia D.
• Don’t leave food out, put a tarp up, don’t eat in your tent. – Brayden B.
Answer: Always leave a clean campsite free from attractants. Store food at least 100 m from your tent up in a tree or in a bear-resistant container or vehicle. Pack out what you pack in.
Thank you for all of the responses Boys and Girls Club!
Crowsnest Pass Bear Occurrence Data for August 14-17
Information from Fish and Wildlife Department
Hillcrest – Bear 5 and cubs. No issues with humans and human attractants. Still located on safe ridge behind Hillcrest.
Bellevue – Grizzly sow and 2 cubs. Possible sighting. North of Bellevue feeding on berries. No issues.
Bellevue – Black bear sow and one small brown cub. West of Bellevue in wooded area.
Leitch Colleries – One dead brown Black Bear carcass identified. Several weeks old. Possible motor vehicle accident.
