BARRHEAD-Joe Prociuk said area residents need to be aware of their surroundings when going into the back country.
It is especially important this year, he said.
Prociuk, who is president of the Barrhead Fish and Game Association, said because of the dry conditions, to survive wildlife are venturing further afield in search of food and are potentially more aggressive.
At least, that is what an Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer told one of their members.
"That is what happens in a dry year," he said. "The berry crop is poor, so they are roaming further and they are grumpier."
Last week a 26-year-old woman working for a helicopter company that transported tree planters into and out of in a remote area of Big Lakes County died following an attack from a black bear. The bear was identified through DNA and euthanized.
Prociuk said the story should serve as a warning to residents and outdoor recreational enthusiasts. He noted that black bears are common in the region, especially in the Tiger Lily and Fort Assiniboine areas.
However, he said they have been known to wander areas closer to urban areas, adding a black bear had been spotted earlier that day (Aug. 2) at his farm three miles outside of Barrhead.
"The man discing my north field saw a black bear, a big one," Prociuk said, noting the bear took one look at the worker before going back into the bush.
He said although this bear went back into the bush, that is not always the case and they need to be prepared for a potential wildlife encounter.
Prociuk noted a fish and wildlife officer spoke to one of their members, who was part of a group taking part in a cross-country type marathon in the Edson area because they wanted him to show them how to use their bear bangers. He added that the group told the wildlife officer did not feel it was necessary to learn how to use the bear bangers because they were carrying bear spray.
"People are under the misconception that you can shoot it a couple of hundred yards, but it is more like 20 feet and when a bear is charging at you at 30 miles an hour," Prociuk said. "People are lulled into a sense of security with bear spray. Yes, it can help. Bring other equipment such as noisemakers, like bear bangers and know how to use them."
According to BeBearAware.org the suggested minimum spray duration of a can of bear spray should be seven-plus seconds. They also suggested that the minimum spray distance of a can of bear spray should be 25 feet or greater. This enables a person to discharge an expanding cloud which a bear, charging from within 60 feet, will meet at about 25-35 feet, giving it time to feel the effects and divert its charge.
Prociuk said it is important to remember that bears, black or grizzly, are predators.
"They take out a lot of moose calves every year," he said.
Fish and Game wildlife officer Morgan Rosadiuk agreed with Prociuk saying area residents need to be more bear aware and that they needed to take steps to bear-proof their properties.
He also noted that bear sightings in Barrhead and surrounding areas are not out of the ordinary. Although due to the heat, he said, bears are more active during the dawn and dusk hours.
Most of the time, Rosadiuk said, bears can be encouraged to move on through simple improvements to their property.
"Bears are food driven. With berry and fruit trees starting to come in season, we do see more bears coming onto people's yards and property," Rosadiuk said. "If you clean and eliminate that calorie intake on your property, they have no reason to stay around."
One of the ways to do that, besides picking your fruit-bearing plants, is to put your garbage into bear-proof bins or inside an outbuilding.
But he noted, bears are very strong animals.
"It is not just putting it in a wooden box, under your deck," Rosadiuk said. "It has to be strong enough to keep them out."
He added it might be more difficult to convince a bear to leave if they have already received a food reward.
"What you have to do as a property owner is to balance that out and make it a negative experience for them," Rosadiuk said. "Hazing them as it were. Banging pots and pans, bear spray options, using your vehicle while keeping a safe distance to drive them off."
He said if the bear continues to push boundaries that the resident is not comfortable with, they can, on their own private land following firearm ownership and safety regulations, shoot the animal.
But before they do that, Roasdiuk said people might want to consider contacting their local Fish and Wildlife office for assistance.
He also added, just because someone spots a bear, it does not mean it is necessarily a problem.
"If you have a bear that is not getting into any of your attractants, if you remove them, there is a potential that they will be replaced by one that doesn't respect the boundaries of human interaction," Rosadiuk said. "We do have good bears in the Barrhead area. We don't have to be afraid of these animals. There is a way to live in harmony with these animals if we manage our attractants and be aware of our surroundings."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
