Safety tips

Each animal needs a different response. Read the one you're likely to meet.

Black bears usually want to avoid you. Most encounters end quietly if you give the bear an exit.

• 1.Make yourself known early

  Speak in a calm, normal voice as you walk. A bear that hears you coming will usually move off before you meet.

• 2.Never run, never climb

  Back away slowly while facing the bear. Running can trigger a chase, and black bears climb better than you do.

• 3.Manage attractants at home

  Garbage out the morning of pickup, fruit picked, birdseed away, freezers and pet food indoors. Most street-level bears are food-conditioned.

• 4.Give cubs a wide berth

  If you see a cub, the sow is close. Leave the way you came immediately.

• 5.Carry and know your spray

  Bear spray on your hip, not in your pack. Practice the draw once so it's automatic.

• 6.If contact happens with a black bear, fight back

  Unlike grizzlies, fight a black bear that makes contact — aim for the face and muzzle.

On the trail

Current guidance for hiking and mountain biking on the Sunshine Coast while bear activity is high.

• Ditch the headphones

  Stay alert and listen — rustling, snapping branches, or warning calls are your earliest notice that a bear is near.

• Make plenty of human noise

  Talk loudly, shout, or sing near blind corners and rushing creeks, where sound is muffled and bears can be surprised.

• Keep dogs strictly on leash

  Off-leash dogs frequently provoke defensive behaviour — and a chased dog runs straight back to you.

• Carry bear spray where you can reach it

  On your hip or chest harness, never buried in your pack. Know the draw before you need it.

• Expect activity day and night in fall

  During hyperphagia (pre-hibernation feeding) bears forage around the clock near food sources — trail cameras keep confirming overnight movement.

Protect your property

Most visits end when there's nothing to eat. Work down this list and bears move on on their own.

• Garbage: freeze smelly scraps and put bins out only on pickup morning — never the night before.
• Fruit trees: pick ripe fruit daily and clear windfalls; a single loaded apple tree can hold a bear for weeks.
• Bird feeders: take them down until winter — a full feeder is a day's calories for a bear.
• BBQs: burn off residue and clean the grill after every use; store it inside if you can.
• Pet food & livestock feed: feed indoors and lock feed in a bear-proof container or shed.
• Compost: skip meat, fish and fruit scraps; turn it often and keep it covered.
• Doors & windows: keep ground-floor ones closed at dawn and dusk when bears are most active.
• Livestock & chickens: electric fencing is the only reliable deterrent — WildSafeBC can advise.

Who to call

• Immediate danger or aggressive animal

  Call the Conservation Officer Service RAPP line — open 24/7.

  Call

• Emergency, people at risk

  Call 911 first, then RAPP.

  Call

• Ongoing bear visits to your property

  Report to RAPP so officers can track patterns and advise you before it escalates.

  Call

• Attractant & fencing advice

  WildSafeBC Sunshine Coast runs free property assessments and electric-fencing guidance.

WildWatch never arranges removal or relocation. For anything urgent, call RAPP at 1-877-952-7277.