It's only February but thanks to the exceptionally warm weather there very well could be bears out there.
Northern Bear Awareness Society president Dave Bakker said he came across a Facebook posting saying a bear was seen on Tyner Boulevard in Prince George on Tuesday, a day after he made his own posting saying the first sighting last year was on March 1.
"Our bear season, which used to be April to November, is now turning out to be March to December," Bakker said.
He said the males typically emerge first to stake out their territories followed by the mothers and cubs. They'll be on the lookout for an easy feed and that could mean heading into backyards and along roadways within city limits.
"People might be surprised how closely bears will den up to urban areas and homes, sometimes within 500 yards," Bakker said. "If the weather starts to warm up and they catch a scent of something, it's like 'OK, maybe I'll go get some food' or 'now that it's warmer, I'll just go out for a little walk and enjoy the sunshine' type of thing."
Keeping bears off your property means reducing the attractants.
"Our saving grace last year was the phenomenal natural berry crop," Bakker said. "That kept a lot of the summer complaints down because there was a lot of natural feed.
"But then as soon as the berries ran out and fall came along and there was fruit from the fruit trees, it just exploded with complaints.
"We can hope for another year like we had last year...maybe the ground will warm up and the grass shoots will come up early but you can't count on that.
"So if you have a shed or garage that you used to put your garbage bin in, start thinking about it now.
"I know there are people who still have their spring bird feeders up because the spring birds are coming back and they want to see them. Keep the area clean beneath it and take it in at night."
Even you've chopped down that fruit tree, bear's will return just to check things out but once they realize there won't be a payoff, they'll move on, Bakker said.
"We often refer to bears as lazy feeders," Bakker said. "They don't put a lot of effort into finding food because their whole goal is to build up their resources for next year. A bear has to gain 30 per cent of its natural body weight to survive the winter months."
