Photo credit: Landon Bick
By Tessa Serry
I’ve been away from the west side of Canada long enough to forget what a proper bear looks like.
We were removing a trail camera (the first of three), when we heard a noise. A crack. And another. And then we saw a black bear walking right towards us. “WOAH BEAR”. We stood our ground and so did the bear. We decided to give it some space and hurriedly packed up the site under the bear’s careful supervision. After we did some more bear calls, it walked away and we decided to move on to our next camera about 300 meters away.
When we reached the next camera we couldn’t see the bear, but we worked quicker than normal to undrill the camera while keeping an eye on the woods. However, the bear, obviously interested in camera takedown procedures, had quietly followed us there. At the end of the takedown at the second camera we could hear it walking through the brush nearby. The bear was definitely still there, and at the sound of the drill, it huffed at us.
Now, since I haven’t been in bear country in a long time, it was both an adrenaline rush and an exciting moment for me to see it in person. We started to leave and luckily, the bear lost interest. The last camera was on the way back to the truck anyway, and this time we were able to finish our work in peace.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, the reality is that staying calm is your best bet. Running is how you trigger a chase, so you stand your ground and keep your wits about you. It’s about being aware of your surroundings, having your bear spray handy, and giving these animals the respect they deserve when you’re in their territory. Learn more about bear safety here, and check out the bear research being done by another team.
Not every moment around Kakwa camp was as exciting. We spent the evenings eating smokies, looking at the beavers and birds, and looking through trail camera photos. Most cameras showed exactly what you’d expect; deer, moose, the occasional bear. But one camera had something exciting. Cougars. Lots of photos of cougars. It was fun having everyone gathered around the laptop to look at the photos. It felt like a field tech version of “show and tell.”
On the drive back from the camp, somewhere between Grand Cache and Hinton on Highway 40, we spotted a woodland caribou right in the traditional migration route.
It felt like a perfect end to a great shift.
About Bear Encounters
There is no single rule for what to do if you see a bear, and each encounter is unique to the bear, the season, and the immediate location. Predatory behaviour is extremely rare; if you speak calmly and gradually increase your distance, nearly every encounter will end with the bear losing interest. Despite this, individual bears can be unpredictable and must always be given respect. Our crews are trained to make safe decisions, work in groups, and always have bear spray immediately accessible.
