Province urges people to be cautious as warm weather may see bears leaving dens early

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is reminding people to be bear wise in the coming weeks, over concerns that warm weather could see bears leaving their dens earlier than normal.

In a media release issued last week, the province said any bears who do emerge early would find little in the way of natural food sources, which could then draw them to garbage, birdseed, or other sources near homes.

Mark Ryckman, policy manager with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, said while he hasn't heard of any bear sightings yet, it wouldn't be unusual.

"It happens every year," he said. "Even in the winter months we hear of bears found wandering through the forest and there are any number of things that can disturb a bear."

Generally, though, there are several factors that determine when bears normally leave their dens after hibernating.

"Emergence from the den tends to vary a little bit as a function of latitude, and is somewhat influenced by weather and the number of daylight hours," he said. "The ratio of daylight hours to dark hours."

"Depending on where you are in the province, in northeastern Ontario for instance and maybe around the same latitude in northwestern Ontario, emergence from the den would peak somewhere early-mid April probably," he said. "It might be a little bit earlier here in southern Ontario."

Ryckman said emerging a bit earlier this year likely wouldn't be a major issue in terms of the health of the bear population.

"Even in a normal year when bears emerge from the den, most bears are actually continuing to lose weight until mid-to-late June, early July, when all the berry crops start to pop out," Ryckman said. "That's when they really start to pack on the pounds."

"So in the spring months and initially after emerging from the den, they're feeding on things like grasses and dandelions, clover, dead animal carcasses from say deer or moose that had either been killed or passed away during the winter months, fish if they can get them, and so on and so forth."

That could mean, Ryckman said, that bears could be drawn to other food sources, such as garbage or birdseed.

"There isn't a whole lot of food for bears to eat at this time of year, at least not high calorie foods," he said. "It's entirely possible that bears along that urban interface will start seeking human-based foods if they're available."

The province provided some tips for homeowners to prevent attracting bears to urban areas:

• Store garbage in waste containers with tight-fitting lids (and store it indoors, if possible);
• Wait until pickup day to put out garbage for collection;
• Remove bird feeders for the spring and summer, and offer natural alternatives like flowers, nesting boxes, or fresh water;
• Cleaning food residue and grease from barbecues after each use, and
• Keep pet food indoors.

Ryckman and the province both advise people to keep dogs on a leash, as well.

"Unleashed dogs in the bush can be a compounding factor when it comes to human-black bear encounters," Ryckman said. "So we always recommend people making plenty of noise when they're in the bush, and keeping their dogs leashed."

If a bear is encountered, and the situation isn't an emergency, people can call Ontario's Bear Wise reporting line at 1-866-514-2327. The line opened early this year, on March 1, due to the unseasonably warm weather.

If a bear is posing an immediate threat or showing aggressive behaviour, call 911 or your local police department.

A Thunder Bay police spokesperson said bear-related calls are relatively uncommon, with only five such calls received last year.

North West OPP, meanwhile, responded to 301 bear calls in the region during 2023, a spokesperson said.