'Be prepared to see a bear,' says Prince Albert National Park staff

Be sure to watch out for bears if you're going to the lake this weekend — even if you're not spending time in the north.

Douglas Provincial Park in southern Saskatchewan had three bear sightings, in one month, from July to August.

Rich Hildebrandt, a conservation officer with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, said bears can be found across the province.

"Our parks in the province, often times they are built along places like rivers and forests and valleys, and those are definitely corridors where wildlife will travel, such as bears," Hildebrandt said.

stay calm, don't run...- Rich Hildebrandt, Conservation Officer

Douglas Provincial Park doesn't have bear proof garbage cans like most of the more northern parks, but Hildebrandt said despite the sightings, bears still aren't a nuisance there.

"If that changes, they definitely would look at some of those changes that could be made."

Busy time of year for bears

Both Hildebrandt and Prince Albert National Park resource conservation manager Norman Stolle said this is a busy time of year for bears as they search out food to fatten up for hibernation.

And in Prince Albert National Park, the bear population is thriving with lots of cubs thanks to good weather and a bumper crop of berries.

"[Visitors] should always expect to see a bear in Prince Albert National Park, or be prepared to see a bear," Stolle said.

The onus is also on you to know how to act if you do see one, he said.

"Wildlife in national parks are wildlife, they're not pets. We a lot of times see these cute cuddly pictures of bears and wolves playing with their cubs but we have to all remember they're still wildlife and we should respect them."

How the park responds to bears

The park has a system for responding to reports of bear activity and their reaction depends on the behaviour of the bear, Stolle said.

"Is this bear exhibiting normal behaviour? Are they ambivalent towards people? Are they showing aggression towards people?"

They also look at the situation surrounding the encounter. Bicycles, for example, are quiet and they move quickly, so people on bikes are more likely to startle a bear.

The actions they take can be anywhere from simply noting there was activity in the area, to putting up signs, to "hazing" the bear.

When they're hazing a bear, they shoot the bear with a paintball gun to mark it, and scare it with noisemakers.

"So all of a sudden, there's all these negative stimulus that they associate with people, so they avoid the people in the future," Stolle said.

Bear safety tips

Stolle said if you're walking on trails, make noise so bears can hear you from a distance, travel in groups, and have bear spray with you and know how to use it.

Watch for bear signs like scat or tracks. If you do see signs of bears, be even more cautious. You're also more likely to see bears at dawn and dusk.

Both Stolle and Hildebrandt agree the best defence against a bear encounter is to make sure there's no food left lying around to attract bears.

"If you do encounter one, know the majority of bears are very cautious around humans as well," Hildebrandt said, "so stay calm, don't run, if you see one, make a wide detour, try to back away, speak in low tones, don't look directly at a bear, don't feed them, don't approach them."

Try to find shelter if possible. If a bear does attack, defend yourself — don't play dead.

He said you should practice good bear etiquette even in areas where bears aren't common. Even if no bears come around, the precautions apply to all wildlife.

If you do encounter a bear or if a bear is becoming a nuisance, you can call the Ministry of Environment offices or report the animal to the turn in poachers line, 1-800-667-7651.