Be Bear Aware: Surge in Alberta Backcountry Encounters Prompts Renewed Safety Warnings as Warm Weather Arrives

EDMONTON — Alberta’s backcountry is waking up to spring, but so are its bears. Wildlife officials are urging hikers, campers, and hunters to exercise heightened caution after a marked increase in grizzly and black bear sightings and close encounters across the province’s eastern slopes and mountain parks. The warm spell that settled over much of Alberta in mid-May has drawn both people and hungry bears into overlapping territory earlier than usual, prompting Alberta Fish and Wildlife to issue fresh advisories for popular trail systems near Canmore, Banff National Park boundaries, and the Kananaskis region.

Recent Sightings Signal Early Season Activity

Between April 15 and May 25, provincial wildlife officers logged 47 confirmed bear sightings and 12 close encounters—roughly a 35 percent increase over the same period last year. Most incidents involved black bears, though at least nine involved grizzlies, including a female with two yearlings that approached within 30 metres of a group of hikers on the Ribbon Creek trail. No injuries have been reported, yet the frequency of incidents has triggered temporary trail restrictions on three Kananaskis day-use areas and prompted extra patrols in the Ghost River Wilderness.

“We’re seeing bears on the move at lower elevations because snowmelt is exposing new vegetation and carcasses from winterkill,” said Conservation Officer Lena Redbird, who covers the Bow Valley. “The same warm temperatures that bring hikers out early are also waking bears from dens ahead of schedule.”

Understanding Spring Bear Biology and Behaviour

Alberta’s estimated 900 grizzly bears and roughly 12,000 black bears emerge from hibernation between late March and early May, depending on elevation and snowpack. Upon waking, bears enter a state of hyperphagia driven by months of fasting; their metabolism demands immediate calories. Early-season diets consist largely of grasses, sedges, and winter-killed ungulates. When natural food sources remain scarce, bears expand their range toward valley bottoms and trail corridors where human food or garbage may be available.

Climate records from Environment and Climate Change Canada show that average April temperatures in the Rockies this year ran 2.4 °C above the 30-year norm, accelerating snowmelt by nearly three weeks in some drainages. While biologists caution against attributing single-season anomalies solely to climate trends, the pattern aligns with longer-term observations that milder winters correlate with earlier bear activity and greater spatial overlap with recreational users.

Official Response and Data Context

Alberta’s BearSmart program, launched in 2018, has distributed more than 8,000 bear-resistant food lockers to trailheads and campgrounds since inception. This season the province added 400 new lockers and increased messaging on social media and trailhead kiosks. “Prevention works,” said Dr. Mark Hallet, wildlife biologist with the provincial government. “Proper storage reduces attractants by over 90 percent in monitored sites.”

Still, compliance remains uneven. In 2023, officers issued 62 tickets for unsecured attractants in the Eastern Slopes, up from 41 the previous year. Data collected by the Alberta Wilderness Association show that 78 percent of reported encounters occurred within two kilometres of a trailhead, underscoring that most incidents happen close to access points rather than deep wilderness.

Voices from the Field: Hikers and Guides Weigh In

Calgary-based hiking guide Rachel Moreau, who leads multi-day trips in the Opal Range, described an encounter on May 18 in which a lone grizzly crossed the trail 40 metres ahead of her group. “We stopped, spoke calmly, and backed away slowly. The bear continued on its path without further interest,” she said. “Our clients carried bear spray and knew how to use it, but the real takeaway is prevention—noise, visibility, and clean camps.”

Conversely, a solo mountain biker near Lake Minnewanka reported being bluff-charged after surprising a black bear at a blind corner. The rider deployed spray successfully and escaped without injury, yet the incident has renewed debate over whether certain high-speed activities require additional restrictions in core bear habitat.

Balancing Recreation and Conservation

Alberta’s outdoor economy contributes an estimated $2.8 billion annually to the provincial GDP, with backcountry tourism representing a growing segment. Parks Canada and Alberta Parks face pressure to keep trails open while protecting both visitors and threatened grizzly populations listed as threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act. Seasonal closures remain a last resort; managers prefer dynamic messaging, trailhead education, and temporary advisories that can be lifted once bear activity subsides.

Indigenous knowledge holders from Treaty 7 nations have long emphasized coexistence principles. Elder Peter Big Smoke of the Stoney Nakoda noted that traditional seasonal rounds accounted for bear movement patterns. “We teach our young people to watch for sign—tracks, scat, digs—and to travel in ways that respect the animal’s space,” he said. Provincial officials have begun incorporating such perspectives into updated BearSmart materials.

Practical Safety Measures for Backcountry Users

Wildlife officers recommend carrying bear spray in a holster, not buried in a pack, and knowing its effective range of roughly seven metres. Groups should travel in parties of four or more, make regular noise on blind corners, and avoid dawn or dusk travel when bears are most active. Food storage rules are strict: all attractants must be hung or locked at least 100 metres from sleeping areas and four metres off the ground. Campers are urged to cook at least 100 metres downwind from tents and to dispose of wastewater far from camp.

Technological aids such as satellite messengers with wildlife alert functions and apps that log recent sightings are gaining popularity, yet experts stress they supplement—not replace—basic awareness. “No app replaces looking up from your phone and scanning the landscape,” Redbird said.

Looking Ahead: Monitoring and Adaptive Management

Provincial biologists will continue collaring select bears to track movement corridors and denning chronology. Early data from five collared grizzlies already show expanded home ranges this spring compared with 2022. If the trend continues, managers may consider adjusting hunting quotas or expanding no-camping zones in high-conflict drainages.

For now, the message is straightforward: Alberta’s backcountry is open, but users must enter it with respect for its most powerful residents. Warm weather has accelerated both human and bear calendars; the overlap demands vigilance rather than alarm.

This is Alex Thompson for Global1 News, reporting from Toronto. 🇨🇦