Living With Hungry Bears – Managing Bear Attractants Around the Home

Did you know that during the Fall months, a bear can consume up to 20,000 calories PER DAY? During this period, called “hyperphagia”, bears become intensely hungry and will be on the lookout for anything they can sink their teeth into that will help them fatten up for the winter months ahead, when food is scarce. Being omnivores, bears will eat almost anything. Despite the abundant rainfall this year creating a large yield of wild berries, this food source alone is not enough to fill a bear’s belly; they need much more.

Bragg Creek, Redwood Meadows and other nearby forested regions experience bear sightings almost daily. Although bears don’t generally show an interest in humans, they are certainly interested in edible tidbits that people may leave around. If a bear should discover food on a particular property, it will expect this food source to be available again and may return to the same property the next day. With that expectation, it will usually check out neighboring properties as well. Such is a bear’s logic.

A wildlife/human conflict could arise if someone unwittingly finds themselves between a bear and their food. Bears may not react passively when surprised by an unexpected human (or pet) that comes in close proximity to them while they are feasting on buffalo berries or compost. They may perceive the intruder as a threat and react with aggression.

Avoid getting into dangerous situations during the Fall months by utilizing important information found within the Alberta BearSmart program and in the tips shown below. You will be helping to protect yourselves and our wild and furry neighbors.

Keep household garbage in air-tight bags or containers, secured inside locked garages or sheds. DO NOT leave trash out overnight under any circumstances. If you must leave trash outside, utilize a certified bear-proof garbage bin.
Dispose of your kitchen scraps at the local Bragg Creek transfer site. Do not compost in your own backyard.
Keep your BBQ clean of grease. Bring dirty dishes inside the house after you are finished outdoors.
Remove bird feeders. Birds have plenty of food between Spring and late Fall. If you choose to utilize bird feeders, provide them during the winter months only.
Remove all other wildlife feed. Although feeding the local deer may seem kind and endearing, the food you provide may not fulfill the nutritional needs that a natural diet provides and can create an unhealthy dependency. A regular deer presence created by feeding can also attract unwanted predators.
Ensure that you pick all of the fruit off of the fruit-bearing plants in your yard.
Feed your pets indoors. Pet food attracts bears.
Keep livestock feed (cow, horse, chicken) secure indoors.
Protect your beehives and chicken coops with secure fencing and structures. Do your research to learn what works best. Bears are powerful and motivated animals and will look for ways to access your honey sources and chickens.
Do not leave anything with an odour outside, near open windows or in your vehicle, even while you’re at home. This includes scented candles, air fresheners, lip balms and lotions. Stories abound of bears venturing into houses and cars in search of the source of the smells they are attracted to.

If all of this advice seems like overkill, consider this: Bears are widely considered to have the keenest sense of smell of all animals in the animal kingdom. Black bears (and grizzlies to a slightly lesser degree) can detect the scent of a sandwich, left-over mac and cheese or a proverbial apple pie from more than a mile away and sometimes up to 18 or 20 km away. Since bears are always on the lookout for a meal, it is wise to expect that they will come for any scraps of food you leave out or discard.

Thank you for being Bear Smart. You will be helping to keep our community and our bears safe!

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