Bears starting to emerge from their West Country dens<\/p>\n
Published 4:30 pm Monday, March 30, 2026<\/p>\n
Bears are starting to emerge from their winter dens in the West Country.<\/p>\n
Mountain View Bear Smart Society has posted a number of bear sightings over the past week in Mountain View and Clearwater Counties.<\/p>\n
On March 24, a trail camera captured images of two grizzly bears in Clearview County west of Cow Lake, according to a landowner.<\/p>\n
On the same day, another property owner reported grizzly bear tracks northeast of Bergen in Mountain View County. A day earlier a black bear and cub were spotted in a field in Clearwater County west of Cow Lake along Highway 752.<\/p>\n
The society says that bears in Alberta typically spend five to six months in their winter dens and will lose 10 to 30 per cent of their body weight.<\/p>\n
Depending on snow cover and outdoor temperatures, bears emerge from their winter dens between mid-March to early May in central Alberta counties.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe entire life of bears revolves around food,\u201d says the society.\u201dTheir survival and ability to raise young depends on them eating enough to regain that weight before going back into winter hibernation.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce out of their dens, bears spend most of their time looking for food, taking advantage of any succulent and protein-rich foods.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile bears will eat carrion, deer fawns and moose calves, insects, and fish, the bulk of their diet is plant material.\u201d<\/p>\n
The society has many safety tips for those living or venturing into bear country:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Travel with others and make noise, talking loudly, laughing, singing, sound a whistle or air horn as you move through wooded areas. Always let people know where you are going and how long you plan to be gone in case they have to come looking for you.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Carry bear spray and know how to use it. Children can carry and use a noise maker, such as a whistle or air horn. Keep them readily accessible on your belt or the outside of your pack.<\/p>\n
\u2022Learn to recognize and watch for signs of bears such as tracks, scats, diggings, torn open anthills, torn logs and stumps, rolled logs and rocks, and claw marked trees. If these signs are recent, calmly and quickly leave the area.<\/p>\n
There have also been four cougar sightings since March 25 in Clearwater, Rocky View and Mountain View Counties.<\/p>\n