Bear activity heats up as more people head to the backcountry 

Be prepared for bears

A lot of people will be out camping, hiking, biking, and enjoying the great outdoors this long weekend and chances are some of them are going to come across bears and other wildlife.

So how do you know if a bear could be nearby?

“Scat, for sure,” says WildSafeBC Central Okanagan coordinator Breanna Scott. “And right now, they’re eating a lot of grasses.

“They just came out of hibernation. Their stomachs are kind of queasy, so they’re eating a lot of grasses to fill that up. You’ll see kind of a runny, gross-looking scat, but it will be big so you’ll know it’s not a dog.”

She says other indicators are overturned logs, signs of digging and claw prints near creeks and streams.

Bears have been emerging from hibernation. Scott says they can lose about 30 per cent of their body weight over the winter. “So, they’re very hungry. They’re going to be a little more curious and out, especially the yearlings.”

Homeowners are being asked to clean up their properties to remove popular attractions for wildlife.

“Garbage is the number one attractant with bears and any wildlife, honestly,” says Scott.

She says it’s not just food smells. They can be attracted by any strong odour, so it’s a good idea to spray out your bin with the hose to lessen the smell.

You should also store bins inside a garage or secure shed until the morning of garbage collection. If you don’t have a safe storage location, Scott suggests freezing stinky trash before putting it out on collection day.

So far this season, WildSafeBC has been keeping tabs on bears in several Central Okanagan communities

“There was that video in Lake Country of a bear getting into garbages and South Kelowna, I’ve already gotten a couple of calls about. And Smith Creek in West Kelowna and Peachland, on Beach Ave. there’s a couple of bears, all garbage issues,” says Scott.

So, As you pack up the camping gear, backpacks and bikes to head out for some fun, remember to grab your bear spray and know how to use it.

For more tips are how to prevent human-wildlife conflict, go to the WildSafeBC website.