Aug
24
Bear Aware
Posted by: lmairs | August 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment
So here’s the deal, this is the Readers Digest version of the bear aware program. This version applies to walking in the woods and not about if you clean your barbecue after using it. You do need to clean your barbecue after using it this time of year as you also should wait until the morning of your garbage pick up to put the container out. Likewise, clean out bird feeders, save it for the winter when they need it, there’s plenty for the birds to eat anyway right now. This bear aware version is about walking in the woods.
There are three bears in Woodhaven, a sow and her two cubs. They arrived about 4 weeks ago. She’s a big cinnamon bear with a black face and a black bum. Her babies are all black and are great tree climbers. Like all bears she is looking for food so she and her babies can get good and fat for winter hibernation. They walk around until they find juicy berries, fresh green leaves & shoots, big boulders and pulpy tree stumps where ants and bugs and grubs might be, then they chomp and chew and gobble it all up until they’re full. They’re not likely to be full for another month or so, so that means there will be daily foraging and the nightly ripping and shredding of logs and tree stumps for a while yet.
Bears are messy, this is a big log at the front gate that was scavenged for bugs.
This is what it looks like once the food is eaten. This is mainly full of cherry pits.
Do’s
* Walk with a buddy and talk. Bears hear the low tones of human voices before they hear the tinkle of bells.
*Look around you. The forest is primarily vertical, critters are mostly seen as horizontal lines. You’ll see the horizontal line of the back of a deer or a bear because it stands out. Remember though, the Woodhaven bear is a cinnamon bear so she looks like the deer at first glance (I know this from experience).
* When you’re walking you can clap sharply a couple times every 30 paces or so. It helps to alert the bear to your location. Better that she knows where you are and moves away from you than you finding her and having to retreat.
* Move away if you see a bear. Retreat slowly and make a wide detour around the bear to safety. If the bear senses you and sees you, speak in a low calm voice, keeping an eye on the bear at all times as you back away. The bear needs to now you are human. The big mom bear has two jobs right now, one is to eat and get fat; the other is to protect her cubs. Don’t get in the middle of either.
Don’ts
* Don’t wear a headset and come jogging.
* Don’t bring food into the park.
* Don’t run madly yelling, you might start to look like prey.
For more information see the Bear Aware program on the Regional District website, here’s a link. http://www.bearaware.bc.ca/index.htm
Woodhaven is at 4711 Raymer Road. Please come and see the current art projects in the park. Pick up an Alternate Guide and a map to the projects. Come on Sunday when Shed Simas is here and he’ll give you great directions and all kinds of info about the project. Just be bear aware while you’re here.