It is the time of year when black bears have started to look for extra food ahead of hibernation. With fall just around the corner, bears are in a period called hypophagia, where they can eat upwards of 20,000 calories of food a day. As they look for extra nourishment, they are more visible, sometimes venturing from their more familiar locales in search of food.
With an increased chance of encountering a black bear during this time of year, the provincial government is reminding residents to be aware of bears and to take precautions to avoid dangerous encounters with the animals.
This advice can even be heeded by those in every corner of the province, explained Matthew Tokaruk, the black bear biologist with the provincial Ministry of Environment. Bear sightings aren’t unusual in the Humboldt area, particularly areas to the north with heavier stands of timber.
“Black bears are common throughout much of the province, even south of the forest,” Tokaruk said.
So, what do you do if you happen to come across a black bear? The first thing is to keep calm.
“In most cases, that bear is already moving away, and there’s no need for concern,” said Tokaruk. “You can kind of just enjoy the moment, and that bear is already travelling away from you. If that bear is busy eating, it sometimes happens when maybe you’re picking berries, then you can make a wide detour, kind of back away, leave the area, speak kind of firmly to the bear and let them know you’re there and move towards some cover.”
Using the cover will help to break the sight lines, which will help to keep the bear disinterested, and Tokaruk explained the encounter is going to end there most of the time. However, on rare occasions that the bear keeps approaching, he recommends keeping bear spray at the ready and looking for an avenue of escape.
“Don’t climb a tree,” he added. “Bears are very good climbers.”
Tokaruk suggested doing something such as dropping a hat or something else that could distract a bear that continues to approach.
“Again, I want to stress how rare it is for an encounter with a black bear to ever reach this level,” Tokaruk reminded. “In almost all cases, you’re going to see the bear from 100 yards away across a meadow or something like that, or on the edge of a tree line. It’ll keep doing its thing and you’ll wander off.
When it comes to keeping bears away from where you are, Tokaruk advised keeping yards, cabins and campsites free from attractants, such as food and garbage, as they are generally ruled by their stomach. If you see a bear, though, and it is causing property damage, he recommends calling the Turn In Poachers and Polluters hotline at 1-800-667-7561. If it is a situation where there is an imminent risk to human safety, call 9-1-1.
If you do have to call in authorities, the biologist also advised it is best to give the conservation officers, and police officers if they are on scene as well, the space they need.
- With files from Discover Humboldt