Bears are coming out of hibernation in the Northwest Territories. The Department of Environment and Climate Change is reminding everyone that avoiding bear encounters starts with you.
Residents can take quick and easy steps to be bear safe this season.
Do not invite them in!
Avoiding encounters starts with not inviting bears to your home, cabin, or community. Attractants are usually the cause. Negative encounters are more likely when bears are in populated areas, and if bears get habituated to human food and garbage, they are more likely to stay close to people and less likely to survive in the wild.
Take these steps to keep yourself and bears safer:
NEVER feed wildlife
Keep food, pet food, gas, and other potential attractants inside
Bear-proof your garbage, either by keeping it inside or in a shed until collection day, or in a bear-proof container
Do not clean fish or field dress harvested wildlife close to communities, cabins or homes. Safely dispose of the remains away from places used by people to cut down on smells
Be prepared on the land
Take these steps to avoid negative encounters with bears on the land:
Take deterrents like bear spray or bear bangers along, and know how to use them
Do not leave garbage or food waste behind and bear proof your camp site
Make noise, travel in groups, and carry bear spray
Keep your dog on a leash at all times
Be on the lookout for fresh bear signs and leave the area if you find any
If you see a bear:
Keep your distance
Back away quietly
Try to stay downwind to avoid the bear from smelling you
Make loud noises to scare them away
Report sightings to your region’s wildlife emergency line
The NWT is bear country. It is home to black, grizzly, and polar bears. Bears normally avoid contact with people, but if they or their cubs are spooked, approached, or habituated to human food or garbage, they can become a problem.
Encounters are most common in spring as bears emerge, and late summer through fall when they are working to fatten up for winter.