Hiker warns of black bear at entrance to Laurier Woods

An encounter with a medium-sized black bear near the parking lot at the Brule Street entrance to Laurier Woods around noon on Wednesday was a first for Dave Hunter, a retired teacher and avid hiker who spends many hours wandering the trails.

"I've seen deer here before, but I had not seen a bear until today," says Hunter, adding he immediately thought of the safety of the other hikers he had crossed with on the trails, as well as the daycare groups and older students he often sees in Laurier Woods at lunchtime.

Hunter says the bear appeared to be attracted to one of the two garbage bins located near the entrance to the trails. Not only did he startle the bear enough to scare it away with his heavy footsteps, but Hunter says he also ticked off a woman who had the bear in the sights of her camera.

"Not very bear-wise," Hunter shares. "She got quite upset at me when I turned the corner. When you come around that corner to come up into the parking lot from the trails, there's a small little wooden area that you walk on that makes sounds. I guess when you cross that, there's not much you can do to prevent that. And she turned to me, and she was signalling to wait. I didn't really know what the hell was going on until I saw this thing, I looked at it, and I thought it was a big dog at first, and then I realized it was a bear."

Speaking of being bear-wise, in the wake of the encounter, Hunter stresses how important it is to quickly contact the proper authorities. A call to the North Bay Police Service directed him to dial the MNR Bear Wise line. He was asked if the bear was acting in a threatening manner. If it had, the next call, he was told, would have been to the OPP to intervene.

"I think, from my point of view, the big takeaway is the telephone tree that I had to go through. They asked me quite clearly, did you feel threatened? Well, no, I didn't feel threatened at all. But they said if a person did feel threatened by a bear being somewhat aggressive, that it's the OPP that would need to be called. So, that would be really good information to get out, especially with all the bear sightings, and especially this time of year."

The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority has posted a warning and shared it on its social media channels.

Paula Loranger, the NBMCA's community relations coordinator says another call about the bear was received Wednesday afternoon. "We don’t usually close Conservation Areas for a bear sighting. It's more of a reminder that bears are found in our Conservation Area and we direct them to Bear Wise as well."

Reduce the chances of attracting bears by:

Storing garbage in waste containers with tight-fitting lids (indoors if possible)
Washing garbage containers and dumpsters frequently using a strong disinfectant to reduce odours
Waiting until garbage pickup day to put out garbage
Keeping pet food indoors
Cleaning food residue and grease from outdoor barbecue grills, including the grease trap, after each use
Storing bird feeders for the spring (you can offer birds natural alternatives, such as flowers, nesting boxes and fresh water)
Turning compost regularly and keeping meat, fish, or sweet foods like fruit out of your composter
Keeping meat and fish scraps in the freezer until garbage collection day
Picking fruits and berries from the ground and trees as they ripen

If you encounter a bear:

Call 911 or your local police if your safety is at risk
Remain calm – often the bear is just passing through and will move on if no food source is found
If a bear is in a tree, leave it alone and remove other people and dogs from the area
Keep away from the bear, and do not block its exit
Tell others of its location and warn them to keep away, and bring children and pets indoors
If near a building or car, get inside as a precaution
If the bear was attracted to food or garbage, remove these items after the bear leaves to discourage the bear from returning
Keep dogs on leash and away from bears
If you have a conflict with a bear, call the Bear Wise line toll-free at 1-866-514-2327 for advice on how to avoid human-bear encounters during bear season (April 1 to November 30)

If a bear approaches you:

Slowly back away while watching the bear
If a bear tries to approach you, do not turn and run — make noise, throw rocks or sticks, and make yourself appear as big as possible
Carry a noise-making device such as a whistle or air horn, and use it if necessary
If the bear continues to approach you, keep backing away slowly while acting aggressively towards the bear
If you are carrying bear repellent, make sure you are familiar with the product and how it is used, using it only if the bear is attacking you or is extremely close to you
Bear attacks are rare, however, if a bear does attack, do not play dead unless you are sure it is a mother bear attacking you in defence of cubs
Fighting back is the best chance of discouraging a bear from continuing its attack, so use a large stick, a rock, or anything else that you can to deter the bear

If a bear is exhibiting threatening or aggressive behaviour, call 911 or local police.

For advice on reducing bear attractants, call the Bear Wise reporting line toll-free at 1-866-514-2327; hearing impaired (TTY) 1-705-945-7641. You will be connected directly with a live operator during bear season (April 1 to November 30).

For more information on how to be bear wise click here.