While out hunting this season, it's advised to be bear aware.
Fish and Wildlife recently took to Facebook to remind hunters of the dangers of bears while hunting in bear country.
While out hunting, Fish and Wildlife reminds hunters that using animal attractants and calls while travelling alone could lead a bear to your location as they could believe they are tracking an animal.
It's also advised to make a plan to help lower the risks of responding to a bear encounter safely before leaving home.
With it leading up to hibernation season for bears in Alberta, bears will be eating extra, and they could be feeding where there are animal carcasses, bee yards, berry patches, digging sites, garbage pits, and grain fields.
From a distance, a carcass could be located due to ravens, magpies, crows, or jays circling above.
Some signs of recent bear activity include overturned logs, dug-up anthills, bear scat, and tracks.
Dusk, dawn, and nighttime are when it's best to be extra cautious, or when there is high wind or running water that makes it harder to hear a bear approach, or when it's hard to see due to heavy bush cover or when approaching hills or bends in the trail.
Fish and Wildlife remind hunters to carry and know how to use bear spray and noise makers.
While tracking a wounded animal, be on the watch for bears who may have smelled the wounded animal and could be tracking the animal themself.
When possible, have someone keep an eye out for bears while tracking animals.
The smell created while field-dressing an animal could also attract bears, so it's best to be noisy to let bears know where you are.
If a hunter has to leave their kill behind, for whatever reason, it's best to move the carcass at least 200 metres from where the animal was gutted, because bears usually will be attracted to the leftovers first, and the kill may still be there when hunters return.
While it may seem like using a gun is the best option to keep yourself safe from a bear, it has been proven that bear spray is more effective at keeping bears from attacking people than guns.
" A bear can run up to 60 km/hour. When a bear is charging in your direction at that speed you will likely not have time to load, accurately aim and discharge your firearm. A cloud of bear spray can deter the bear from making contact," Fish and Wildlife stated on the government of Alberta website.
They add that bears are not always immediately killed by a bullet, which could cause the bear to become more aggressive.
To learn more about how to stay safe from bears, click here.