There are few bears still out and about, but Mountain View County residents are advised to be cautious of cougars, as they remain active throughout the winter.
“Cougars are active all year round. They don't den like bears do. So those you could see any time of the year,” said Jane Bicknell, secretary for the Mountain View BearSmart Society.
In order to prevent cougar encounters, the precautions are similar to that for bears, she said.
“If you're out hiking, or cross-country skiing, you want to make noise and let the animals – be the cougars or wolves or whatever – know that you're there and then they can move out of the area.”
She mentioned a recent incident where a cougar killed a woman in Banff National Park, as she was cross-country skiing. The cougar followed her and attacked her from behind, she said.
“That's their preferred method of attack. They're like any cat, they stalk and then follow and attack something from behind. It's good to keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings,” she said, noting that this is a rare incident.
“Cougars are fairly secretive. They tend to avoid people. People don't see them. You might see footprints or something in the snow or the mud, but there are cougars out there. Especially in the west part of Mountain View (County).”
There are few bears still out of their dens, as they generally go into hibernation in October. However, the larger adult males are often still out and about in November. All bears should be into their dens by late November or early December.
“Bears are like any individuals. They are kind of on their own schedule,” she said. “Certainly the snow and the colder temperatures are what drives them into their dens.”
Once everything is covered with snow, all bears are into their dens because there is no food to eat, she said.
“There might be adult male bears still out or they may have found a den spot and they may go in for a day or two if it's cold. If we get chinook kind of weather they will come out and move around a bit.”
It is possible for them to come out of their dens occasionally throughout the winter months if they are disturbed by loud noises such as operating equipment, she said.
They will start to come out of their dens in late March or early April. The society hosts Bear Awareness Week in April, as the bears are leaving their dens and are ready to hunt for food.
There was a general meeting on Nov. 12 and members of the society are busy planning for that week.
They plan to attend schools within the county to deliver bear safety presentations, including Sundre, Cremona, Water Valley and Didsbury schools.
As well, they present at different events throughout the year in places such as Rocky Mountain House and Cochrane.
“Our prime focus is education and getting out the bear safety message,” she said. “Hopefully we can reduce some of those bear and human conflicts.”
The society is celebrating its fifth anniversary and members are beginning to brainstorm new initiatives.
“It's been five years so now we need to sit down and look at where do we go from here. Have we accomplished what we had hoped to, or what's the next step?” she said.
A significant accomplishment over the last five years is setting up bear country signs throughout the county, in conjunction with fish and wildlife and the county.
The society is always looking for new members and volunteers and encourages residents to visit the website for more information at www.mountainviewbearsmart.com.
