Bear Report - Oct.1, 2026

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BEAR ACTIVITY UPDATE (Oct.1, 2026)

(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)

This past week has been somewhat quiet for bears in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country but that does not mean people should be getting complacent! Bears continue to be on a constant search for food for the next six weeks to fatten up for their winter hibernation, but that food should not be coming from humans. Bears will be searching for easy food sources which leads to trouble if people leave attractants out and bears get into them. A reminder that day-use areas and campsites need to be kept clean, and wildlife attractants need to be properly secured. With the upcoming weekend and nice weather forecast, the trails and day use areas will likely be very busy with visitors. It’s important that everyone remains vigilant and mentally prepared for possible encounters with bears and other wildlife, all of which are still active in the Bow Valley and K-Country!

If there are bears feeding along trails, give them their space (at least 100m), back away, leave the area, don't try and sneak past them and don’t expect bears to move off a food source for you. Bears can be very protective of their food and may exert their dominance if you get too close. We need to do our part and and give them that peace and quiet to feed undisturbed.

Bow Valley residents need to be aware of and concerned that attractants such as fruit trees pose a safety risk to people and the survival of bears! Coexisting with wildlife in the Bow Valley means removing fruit BEFORE it is ripe, and the best long-term solution is to remove the fruit tree and replace it with a non-fruit-bearing alternative. Consider having some friendly conversations (not confrontations) with your neighbours and fellow residents about the importance of removing fruit to keep people and bears safe in the Bow Valley! You can also help keep bears alive by securing and removing other wildlife attractants around your home such as taking down birdfeeders, storing pet food inside, cleaning your bbq and ensuring garbage is secured. Just because you have never had a bear in your fruit tree before, it does not mean it can’t or won’t happen. Even ornamental fruit trees (that typically do not attract bears) can and will attract bears. Canmore Residents: Remove your fruit trees or their fruit, or you may face steep fines and be responsible for killing a bear! To find out more about the fines associated with allowing wildlife attractants such as fruit to accumulate on trees and on the ground, view and download the Community Standards Bylaw here.

 

Female grizzly bear with cubs.

 

We are in the elk rutting season and people need to give elk lots of space! Male elk will act aggressive towards anything that comes too close, even vehicles. The best way to keep them at ease is to stay at least 100m away - which is ten school bus lengths - NEVER TRY TO SNEAK PAST THEM and never get between a male elk and the female elk. Never approach elk up close as they are wild animals that can react unpredictably!

Elk frequently hang out along trails and in wide open fields such as school yards and playing fields around town, which means you may have to choose an alternate route while out for a walk/run/ride. Parents: have a conversation with your children about giving wildlife lots of space and calmly leaving the area if they see elk or other wildlife. Remember: keep pets on a leash, carry bear spray in an easily accessible location, and if an elk charges, consider using your bear spray or position a large object (e.g. car, large tree) between you and the elk. Even if you are going for a leisurely walk in Canmore, you should be carrying bear spray and keeping your distance from all wildlife! RELATED ARTICLE: Elk account for nearly two-thirds of aggressive wildlife encounters in new study.

 

Photo by Amar Athwal.

 

Hunting Season is open and many techniques used by hunters make it more hazardous for them in bear country because they intentionally do not make noise and they rarely travel in groups. Hunters need to make a compromise between hunting success and safety in bear country – that means always carrying bear spray in an easily accessible location and knowing how to use it. Bear spray can save the life of the hunter AND the bear(s).

VIEW CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES

Please report any sightings of a bear, cougar, wolf or any aggressive wildlife in the Bow Valley or K-Country to Kananaskis Dispatch at 403-591-7755. In Banff, call Dispatch at 403.762.1470. They prefer to get the reports first hand from the people who see the wildlife!

SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND

Larch Viewing: Got your heart set on seeing larches in the fall? There are a lot of them around! Click here to read what the Friends of Kananaskis Country recommends! They also have an extensive list of trails, none of which are at the Highwood Pass, where you can see Lyall’s Larches. All of these trails will be less busy than the Highwood Pass. Be aware that grizzly bears are up there at this time of year too, and there are a couple of things that grizzlies chow down on up in the alpine before they go to bed, and almost all of them are dug up such as ground squirrels, roots and bulbs. So keep an eye out for grizzly bear digs on your larch explorations. Here are some simple reminders for larch hikers:

  1. Humans and bears use the same trails. Move out of the way if bears are coming towards you on a trail and give bears space at all times, at least 100 metres (10 school bus lengths).

  2. Slow down when driving to/from your larch hike! Bears and other wildlife are often seen feeding and travelling on or near the road. Motorists need to slow down when passing wildlife roadside and obey speed limits, but don’t stop and cause (or be part of) a bear jam on the highway. Keep moving in order to give bears the space they need to feed undisturbed and never get out of your vehicle! Be extra alert (especially at dawn and dusk) as the days are getting shorter and the number of darkness hours are increasing. The Friends of Kananaskis Country have some great Tips for Roadside Wildlife Viewing for motorists and cyclists.

  3. Getting too close to bears, such as in a vehicle or trying to take a picture, unfairly disrupts their behaviour and feeding patterns. During this crucial time before hibernation, they need to eat as many calories as possible - their survival depends on it!

  4. Carry bear spray in an easily accessible location (not in your backpack), know how to use it and be prepared to use it!

  5. It is advised to keep pets on a leash or consider leaving them at home when hiking in alpine environments to avoid any potentially dangerous encounters with grizzly bears.

An example of how busy it gets during Larch season down in the Highwood Pass area in K-Country!

WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM

Don’t stop for roadside bears! Part 1 of this 2 part video series talks about the Do's and Don'ts of roadside bear viewing in Kananaskis. One key message: don't stop next to roadside bears. But there actually IS a time when you SHOULD stop. Enjoy the Part 2 video below!

WEEKLY WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WHEREABOUTS

In case you have not seen them yet, our amazing Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors have been heading out onto trails and trailheads! You can find them talking to people about responsible trail use and staying safe while recreating in bear country. Note: their locations may change at the last minute.
October 3 - Sweater Weather Race at the Canmore Nordic Centre.
October 5 - New Banff Sign at the Banff Train Station.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT?

Bears are so focused on food this time of year that they are more likely to take risks, like coming into town and backyards to feed in fruit trees. Letting a bear access these higher calorie items such as crabapples, cherries and mountain ash won't do it any favours. Once they try these food sources they can learn that towns provide easy meals, meaning they're more likely to stick around and come back. This can become a public safety issue as bears can get protective of food sources, leading to conflicts between bears and humans, with bears normally paying the price by getting relocated or killed.

If there are any houses with fruit trees in your neighbourhood, we urge you to start having friendly conversations (not confrontations) with your neighbours about the importance of removing fruit to keep people and bears safe in the Bow Valley.

  • Need help removing the fruit? WildSmart has pruning shears, extendable pole saw pruners and fruit pickers that can be borrowed (free of charge) to assist Bow Valley residents in removing that hard to reach fruit. Please send an email to resource@biosphereinstitute.org to make arrangements to borrow the fruit removal equipment.

  • Don’t know where to put the picked fruit? Remove all fruit from branches. Picked fruit can be put in the residential food waste bins around town. Leaves, branches and clippings can be put in the appropriate bins at the 115 Boulder Crescent Recycling Depot. Please note that they do not accept branches with fruit as they attract wildlife, and the Town of Canmore is not is not able to dispose of the bins when there are berries and fruit in the bins as the landfill will not accept them!

  • Apply for the Town of Canmore’s Fruit Tree Removal Incentive: Picking fruit every year is a lot of work so the recommended long-term solution is to remove your fruit tree! There is still plenty of money remaining in the budget this year for the Town of Canmore’s Fruit Tree Removal and Replacement Incentive Program so we urge you to consider removing your fruit tree now while the funds are available! Get up to $500 per property for removing fruit trees. Condos or commercial properties that remove 5 or more trees may be eligible for up to $1,000. The same reimbursement amounts are available for fruit tree replacement. These programs are first-come first-served while funds are available. Click here for more details!

 

Archived photo of a grizzly bear feasting on crabapples in Quesnel, B.C. Courtesy of Julie Dorge  (@juliedorgephotography).

 

Backpack’s mother and former Fat Bear Week champion, Holly, introduced him to Brooks River when he was a first-year cub in 2006. Backpack often climbed onto his mother’s back when the pair swam in the river, a habit that inspired his nickname.

He returned with a significant leg injury in 2007. No person witnessed how Backpack was injured, though he clearly favored the injured leg and did not put weight on it for much of the summer. Park staff and the visiting public openly wondered about his chances of survival. Backpack soon proved he only needed the chance to let his mother care for him and recover on his own. His leg healed and he separated from his mom in 2008. Since then, Backpack has grown into a large adult and become a consistent presence at Brooks Falls, especially in early summer.

Unlike many large adult male bears, Backpack hasn’t shown much aggression toward his competitors. He’ll stand up for himself when necessary, but he prefers to use a quiet strength to gain access to preferred fishing spots. His body size suggests that the strategy works. Although some bears are brawlers who thrive in the face of competition, others find a way to live within calmer niches. These bears, like Backpack, express their own versions of toughness, yet are no less successful than their more aggressive counterparts. Backpack’s quiet toughness has allowed him to find his niche alongside the biggest bears at Brooks River. Watch the video below to learn more about Bear#89 aka Backpack.

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Oct.3 - Sweater Weather 10K & 5K Race at the Canmore Nordic Centre. Hosted by RNEST Endurance, the Sweater Weather race takes you on a double-track dirt trail adventure through the pine forests of the Canmore Nordic Centre. We are also proud to share that $2 from every entry will be donated to us at the Biosphere Institute! WildSmart and the Wildlife Ambassadors will also be there with our interactive booth from 8am-12:30pm. Come on by, learn how to use bear spray and chat with them about responsible trail use, managing wildlife attractants, and how we can all work together to improve human-wildlife coexistence.

 
 
RSVP TO SAVE YOUR SPOT!

Silent auction, cash bar, dancing, 50/50 and light snacks! All proceeds support the Biosphere Institute and our work advancing climate action and human-wildlife coexistence throughout the Bow Valley. Bring your friends, bring your boots, and come dance for a good cause.

 
 

  • Nov.25-27 - Registration is now open for the 2026 Building for Sustainability Symposium! Join us in Canmore for three days of learning, connection, and practical conversations about the future of the built environment. This year’s Symposium explores the themes of Innovation | Collaboration | Small Changes, Big Impacts, bringing together builders, developers, architects, engineers, municipal leaders, sustainability professionals, and others working to create more resilient, efficient, and sustainable communities.

The program will feature engaging workshops and panel discussions, technical demonstrations, inspiring speakers, networking opportunities, and field trips showcasing real-world projects throughout the Bow Valley. Whether you work directly in the building industry or are interested in how our communities can build better, we invite you to be part of the conversation. Registration is now open. Explore the program and reserve your spot NOW!

 
 

Please remember BEARS CAN BE ENCOUNTERED ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!

Report any sightings of a bear, cougar, wolf or any aggressive wildlife in Kananaskis Country or the Bow Valley to Kananaskis Dispatch at 403.591.7755

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