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BEAR ACTIVITY UPDATE (Nov.13, 2025)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
There have only been a few sightings of bears in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country this past week (even some bear scat in Canmore), and GPS data is showing that most collared grizzly bears have gone into their dens or remain at or near their den sites at higher elevations. That being said, there are still bears out and about on the landscape searching for last minute calories. Male bears often stay out of their dens longer and remote camera and collar data have shown that some grizzly bear males, like “The Boss”, like to stay out on the landscape into mid-December so we need to make sure we do not leave any attractants outside for bears to eat.
With this in mind, it is important that we don’t become complacent when heading out on the trails and that we are mentally prepared for possible encounters with wildlife! Remember to carry bear spray year-round in an easily accessible location (not in your backpack), know how to use it and use it if required.
SLOW DOWN: Drivers need to take extra care and heed warning when they see wildlife signage showing wildlife on the road and remember to drive carefully, obey speed limits, and scan for wildlife that may be feeding or lingering roadside. Motorists need to be extra alert (especially at dawn and dusk) as the days are getting shorter and the number of darkness hours are increasing.
Grizzly mom with 3 cubs on Highway 40 in K-Country on Nov.6, 2025. Photo courtesy of Charlene Thompson.
The elk rut is over but numerous elk continue to be seen all throughout town which means you have to be alert and you may have to choose an alternate route while out for a walk/run/ride. Give plenty of space to ALL ELK (at least 30 metres or 3 bus lengths) and do not try to sneak past them on the trail! Never approach elk for ANY reason and keep your pets on a leash. If an elk charges, position a large object (e.g. car, large tree) between you and the elk or consider using bear spray.
HUNTERS need to be aware and cautious as, due to the nature of their activity, they are intentionally being quiet on the landscape. They should always be bear aware and carry bear spray with them while out hunting! Bear spray can save the life of the hunter AND the bear(s). If you are recreating, please remain alert of your surroundings and avoid dead animals.
Related article: 2 hunters unharmed in separate bear encounters in SW Montana.
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!
THE IMPORTANCE OF REPORTING WILDLIFE: Many people believe that reporting a bear in town, especially your backyard, is a death sentence for that bear. The truth is quite the opposite. By not reporting a bear, you are allowing the bear to learn bad behaviours (such as feeding in fruit trees, lingering in backyards, feeding at bird feeders, eating pet food, eating garbage etc.) and you teach the bear that it is OK to come into town and eat unnatural food sources - when in fact it is not OK and it will eventually lead to its death.
SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND
Even though the bears have or will enter their dens soon, there are still many species that do not hibernate (i.e. cougars, wolves, coyotes, deer and elk). Every time you head out on the trails you need to be vigilant and mentally prepared for possible encounters with wildlife! Here are some simple things you can do to stay safe on the trails:
Stay on designated trails so that we are more predictable for wildlife
Make lots of noise (yell, shout) to let wildlife know you are coming down the trail to avoid surprise encounters, and give them time to move off of the trail
Avoid recreating at dusk, dawn or at night, which is when cougars and other wildlife are most active
Be aware of your surroundings by periodically checking behind you to make sure there are no animals following you and by not wearing earbuds/headphones, which will limit your ability to hear approaching wildlife
It is safer to hike, bike, run, or ski in a group. Not only are you more intimidating for wildlife, you will also make more noise
Think about carrying some sort of satellite communications device in case of an emergency
Surprise defensive encounters happen very quickly so it is very important that you know how to use bear spray and that you are able to pull it out and deploy it in under 2 seconds! This requires lots of practice and you need to carry bear spray YEAR-ROUND in an easily accessible location (not in your backpack)! Bear spray is also effective against wildlife that are active year-round such as cougars, wolves, coyotes and elk.
KEEP DOGS ON-LEASH as it could save your life, your dog’s life and a bear’s life! If you are not able to do that, consider leaving them at home to give tired elk and deer some peace and quiet and time to recover from the busy and stressful rutting season.
Off-leash dogs continue to be a big problem in the Bow Valley and we are constantly looking for new and creative ways to reach those folks. Here is a great sign from Whistler B.C. using a different approach that might resonate better with some off-leash dog walkers.
Another approach to getting people to keep their dogs on-leash. Signage from Whistler B.C.
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
There are lots of reasons to keep your dog on a leash. Here's one you may not have thought about: your off-leash pooch is a threat to ground birds like grouse.
"BUSTING BEAR MYTHS" BY DEREK RYDER, WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR
Myth: By having my dog with me on a trail, I’m less likely to risk a bear attack.
Fact: Bears don’t like dogs. In truth, they don’t understand what a “dog” is. But they do understand canids, which is the family of animals dogs are in. Canids here are wolves, coyotes and foxes. Bears don’t like any of them. Wolves try to steal bear kills, and will predate young bears. Coyotes and foxes try to scavenge from bear kills. Bears don’t see canids as a good thing. They see wolves, dogs, and coyotes as threats.
If your dog lunges and barks at a bear, even on leash, that’s seen by the bear as aggression. Bears are big enough to believe – rightly so – that they’re the kings of the forest. If a canid is aggressive towards them, they’ll probably be aggressive back – which will be bad for your dog, and bad for you. Sure, it might scare the bear off, especially if there are a few of you and you look like a pack to a bear (bears don’t like packs of anything). If your dog turns and runs, that will trigger a pursuit reflex in a bear. Prey runs away. By running, your dog just identified itself as something worth chasing.
Dogs rarely make bear encounters better. Even on-leash, your dog is generally not going to be an asset in a bear encounter. It may actually turn an otherwise benign encounter into an attack situation. Plus, bear spray is a two-handed thing. How do you use two hands when one of them has a leash in it, attached to a dog?
Bears see wolves (pictured), dogs, and coyotes as threats. Photo credit: Yellowstone National Park Flickr.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Please ensure that your yards are free of ALL attractants so that bears do not find anything to eat and subsequently get into trouble! If you have a fruit tree, such as a crabapple (including ornamental crabapples), mountain ash or chokecherry - picking fruit every year is a lot of work so the recommended long-term solution is to remove your fruit tree. There is still 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! These programs are first-come first-served while funds are available.
Click here to view a handy Fruit-Bearing Trees & Shrubs Identification Guide!
Also, remember to pick up after your dogs as their feces can act as an attractant for wildlife. As a pet owner it is YOUR responsibility to pick up and dispose of your pet’s waste properly. Doggy poop bags need to be put in wildlife-proof bins, not left on or alongside the trails - see video below!
Here is a great short video about the Invasive Doggy Poop Bag!
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Video shows bear attacking tourist who attempted to feed it by hand.
Province eyes higher speed limit through Canmore with no wildlife fencing or crossings built.
Recent bear attacks and close encounters prompt calls to bring back Alberta’s grizzly hunt.
Employee killed by polar bears was taking photos at remote worksite.
Bear attacks sparking changes to autumn tourism operations in Japan.
David Attenborough narrates astounding BBC footage of a polar bear catching a seal.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years.
A hungry black bear returned to the same Colorado home for the 3rd time in a week.
Black bear caught walking off with man's new chainsaw.
Massive Yukon grizzly bear provides gripping trail-cam moment.
Bear safety alert issued for Sea to Sky area during hyperphagia season.
On the brink of extinction: Calves born in captivity to save Jasper's dwindling caribou.
Idaho Fish and Game tech films close encounter with mountain lion.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
A Tale from the Trail - “My friend and I hiked up to Rawson Lake on Oct.7, 2025 and along the way picked up a few granola bar and candy wrappers. However, when we reached the top we were horrified to find broken hardboiled egg shells, numerous pieces of orange peel from probably 6 oranges and 2 banana peels strewn about at the east end of the lake. We should have taken a picture but had the mess picked up before realizing it. Since none of the aforementioned had started to compost, I'd say it was left there the weekend before. I don't know if people were just careless or thought they were doing the critters a favour by leaving a snack. Maybe we need to put signs up at trailheads, I don't know really how to get the message across to people. Other goodies we found along the trail were plastic bottle caps, numerous wipes and tissues. We estimated we collected about 1/2 pound of garbage!”
Even though the fact that there was food and garbage left behind is bad news, it is pawsitive to see that there are trail users who care, and many thanks to Shelley and Jane from Prairie Mountaineer Hikers for sharing their story above and for picking up the garbage and keeping our trails clean!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Join John Paczkowski, Human Wildlife Coexistence Team Lead with Alberta Forestry & Parks for a presentation on fireguards and firesmarting followed by a panel discussion with Cliff White, Consultant, Bill Hunt, Senior Director of Conservation at Y2Y, and Caitlin Miller, Director of Emergency Management for the Town of Canmore. The panel discussion will be moderated by Gareth Thomson, Executive Director at the Biosphere Institute.
This FREE Earth Talks event, with the Biosphere Institute, will take place on Monday, November 17 at 7pm in the Friends Program Room at the Canmore Public Library. Registration is required to attend in-person, or you can join online LIVE via Zoom by clicking here.
Attendees Will Learn:
how carefully planned and executed fireguards and fuel reduction projects can have long term benefits for an array of wildlife species
how strategically removing the forest canopy can improve the productivity of vegetation preferred by large mammals
how fire guards and fuel reduction projects in the Bow Valley will not only reduce the risk of wildfire but provide good habitat for wildlife outside of town, which will help to reduce human wildlife conflict
About the Presenter: John Paczkowski is the Human Wildlife Coexistence Team Lead with Alberta Forestry and Parks in the Kananaskis Region. He has been studying wildlife, mostly bears, for the last 30 years. John is also on the Board of Directors for the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley. He lives and works in Canmore.
Nov.21 - Do-Si-Do for the Biosphere Institute: Square Dance Fundraiser
Only a few tickets left for our annual Square Dance fundraiser! Dust off your boots for a night of toe-tappin’ fun featuring live music, light snacks, prizes, and a lively square dance led by a professional caller. No experience needed.
There will be a cash bar with a special contribution from Wild Life Distillery, and plenty of chances to win big with our Silent Auction, Draw Prizes and 50/50 draw. Fire in the hole!
Friday November 21, 2025.
Doors open: 6:30 PM at the Cornerstone Theatre | Dancing starts at 7:30 PM
General Admission: $45 + fees
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