OLDS — A Bear Aware session held during the Wild Rose Homecoming Geocaching event in Olds last weeked attracted about a dozen participants.
Paul Fraser and Jane Bicknell of the Mountain View BearSmart Society gave attendees advice on what to do if they encounter bears while they’re out geocaching in the woods.
The session included tips on how to correctly and safely use bear spray.
After a classroom session on that topic, participants went outside the Cow Palace and practised using bear spray on a cub-sized model of a bear as it slid down toward them on a contraption that looked like an extension ladder.
“You put out a cloud of mist and have the bear run into it,” he said. “And then as it comes closer, again, you’re just giving it short bursts and hoping that it’s enough to deter the bear. It should be.”
Fraser cited a video of a bear he said was “just curious” and kept coming closer and closer to a guy.
“The guy was just saying ‘no bear, go away, go away, no bear, good bear,” and he kept backing up and the bear just kept coming, he wouldn’t give him room.
“Finally it got to the point where ‘OK, now you’re in my face.’ He just gave a very short burst (of bear spray) and that bear was just gone, just like that. It’s very, very effective.”
Fraser urged participants make sure they knew where their bear spray was on their person and to practise pulling it out of their holsters quickly and efficiently, because they wouldn’t want to be fumbling around for it if a bear was coming at them.
Sherri Weiman of Calgary related an incident that happened to her near Quesnel, B.C. when she came around a bend and spotted a grizzly bear.
Fortunately, it didn’t seem to notice her and her companion.
“My heart was racing,” she said. “We started walking back up the path again and nothing happened, but my heart was racing like crazy.”
