The Lac La Biche area is seeing more wolves, coyotes and cougars, said wildlife officials at a recent post-hunting season meeting.
The presentation was held late last month at the Provincial Building, giving the public statistics on counts of different species, information on how the counts are done, and future projects planned by the government. There was also a chance for input.
One of the highlights was that the Lac La Biche area is seeing more predators. For example, there have been several confirmed sightings of cougars in the area, said Grant Chapman, a local biologist with Alberta Fish and Wildlife.
“We know cougar ranges have been expanding in Alberta,” Chapman said. “It’s a good habitat for them, so it’s not surprising.”
Because of this, cougar management areas have expanded as well – allowing for more hunting.
And although there are no official counts done, Chapman says there has been more anecdotal evidence that wolf and coyote numbers are on the rise as well. But he stressed there is no reason for people to be scared of meeting these animals.
“I wouldn’t be extra fearful,” he said, but added that it’s always important to take precautions to avoid encounters. For example, people should watch for signs that there is wildlife in the area, to make noise, travel with others, and have a cell phone available to call for help.
High bear complaints
Last year, wildlife officers had to deal with seven times more bear incidents than average. They answered to 225 bear complaints and had to handle 80 of them. The average number of complaints before 2011 was around 30, with 10 seeing action taken.
“Last year definitely saw high bear occurrences,” said local wildlife officer Kerry Rudneski. “In the latter part of the season, bear complaints went through the roof.”
The reasons for the more bears aren’t clear, but Rudneski thinks a poor berry season may have played a part.
“They didn’t have that food source readily available,” he said. “This caused them to move more.”
He said that it’s hard to predict if there will be the same number of incidents this year once the bears start coming out of hibernation in the next couple of months, but he assures people there is no reason to worry. Bear problems are normally food-related and can be easily avoided, he said.
“They are slaves to their stomach,” Rudneski said. “If everything a bear could eat is managed, there won’t be a problem.”
A key to that management is getting the public to properly dispose of their garbage.
“Generally people don’t pay attention to those things until there’s a problem,” Rudneski said. “But if garbage is out, it’s not a question of if, but when the bear will show up.”
