Living in

Bear Country
The American black bear is one of sometimes causes problems, as and no escape is possible you
the largest and most impressive they are a powerful predator that should defend yourself. DO
animals found in Saskatchewan. can be dangerous to humans. NOT PLAY DEAD.
Despite their cartoon depictions,
bears are potentially dangerous If you encounter a bear Living in bear country
and should be treated with · Never feed or approach a Black bears are opportunistic,
respect. When in bear country, it bear or cubs. habitual creatures that are
is in your best interest to naturally drawn to a source of
minimize any potential conflicts · Make a wide detour if you see food by their keen sense of smell.
that can arise when bears and a bear at a distance. Don't get If successful in finding an easy
humans share the same territory. too close to a bear for the source of food, they will continue
sake of a photograph. to return. This is why it becomes
Black bears can live in various
habitats, but prefer the dense · If you suddenly encounter a critical to “bear-proof” our homes
woods of the boreal forest. They bear, calmly back away, speak and yards.
require a large amount of food, in low tones and do not look If you live in bear country, here
especially in the autumn when directly at the bear. are a few guidelines to follow:
they are building up their fat
· Stay calm – DO NOT RUN. You · Avoid leaving pet food
reserves to survive hibernation.
cannot outrun a bear. accessible to wildlife.
As a result, their preferred habitat
contains thick underbrush of · As a last resort when a bear is · Properly clean barbeque grills
berry and nut-bearing plants. very close, dropping an after each use.
They are often found along article may distract a bear. Do
valleys and other waterways not drop your pack. · Keep trash in a secure
where these plants are plentiful. location, or haul your
· Move towards a tree or a rock, garbage directly to a landfill.
Black bears are also scavengers, which may protect you from
which means they will investigate the bear. Climbing a tree is · A quick blast from an air horn
anything that looks like a not an escape but the bear is an effective tool to
potential meal. For black bears, may feel less threatened. convince a bear it doesn't
garbage dumps and garbage Black bears can easily climb belong in your yard. Air horns
cans are a buffet. Black bears can trees. are inexpensive, readily
be found feeding in garbage available and simple to use.
dumps and other areas where · In almost all cases, a black
they can find garbage and food bear will threaten but will not
scraps left by humans. This attack. If an attack does occur

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A returning bear likely indicates In the backcountry Remember …
there is a food source nearby, so
have a look around the yard to · Cook at least 100 metres · Please take the time to report
ensure items that may attract it downwind from your tent. all bear incidents and
are picked up and safely stored.· observations to a park or
· Store your food in air-tight conservation officer promptly.
When bears start to associate their containers, preferably
food with humans, they become a suspended from a tree (at · The surest protection against
nuisance. least four metres up and one injury or damage to your
metre away from the tree property is prevention.
Bears and camping trunk and 400 metres from
your campsite). · Never feed bears or leave food
for a bear – you will invite
Bears have been known to wander
· Pitch your tent in the open, trouble for yourself, as well as
through campgrounds on
away from dense bush, for the next campers. Bears
occasion. Proper food storage,
streams and game trails. that have been fed lose their
cooking methods and garbage
natural fear for humans. When
handling are essential for safe · Leave your pack outside with bears start to associate their
camping in bear country. flaps open. food with humans, they
In a campground · Stay on trails and make noise become a nuisance. Bears
as you walk, by whistling or usually have to be destroyed
· Never cook or eat in your tent. when this occurs. Don't let
singing to warn bears of your
· Store food in air-tight presence. yourself be the cause of a
containers in the trunk of your bear's destruction.
· Look for any signs of bear
vehicle, not in tents or tent- · It is unlawful to feed bears on
activity such as tracks,
trailers. park land.
droppings and digging, that
· Place all garbage in the indicate bears may be in the
containers provided. Do not area.
burn or bury scraps. If you see a bear in your
· Be especially cautious if your
· Clean fish only at designated visibility or hearing is community, or if you have an
fish-cleaning stations. obstructed by dense bush or aggressive encounter with a
running streams. bear, contact your local
· Keep your pet on a leash or
Always supervise small Ministry of Environment
inside your vehicle. An ·
unleashed dog may aggravate children in any area bears office or call the TIP line,
a bear. inhabit. 24-hours a day, at
1-800-667-7561 or from your
· Use a flashlight at night; do · Avoid areas of bear food SaskTel cell Phone at #5555.
not move about the campsite sources such as berry patches
at night unless necessary. and carcass remains.

If a bear enters the campground · Dispose of dishwater away

from your campsite and do
· Stay calm; do not run. not bury any fish remains.
· Do not harass or chase the
bear. If the bear is at a
distance, calmly place all food
in your vehicle.
· Get into your vehicle and
report the incident to staff.
 Sharing the
Landscape
with Cougars
Cougars once ranged across the · If a cougar does make · Deer are prime prey for
prairies but were displaced to contact, fight back, use any cougars and they will follow
more remote mountain regions as weapon that you can and deer that hang around or
settlement advanced. Over the don't give up. Never play live in a yardsite. Try to make
past two decades they have been dead with a cougar. After your yard as deer proof as
expanding their range eastward the animal has left, keep possible.
and are recolonizing much of watching for it until you
their former range. There are reach safety. · Dense vegetation makes
recent confirmed reports from as great hiding places for
far east as Missouri and · Cougars may view children cougars. Remove vegetation
Tennessee. as prey targets due to their that could be a hiding place,
small size and quick making your yard less
In Saskatchewan, cougars are a movements. In the event of a friendly for cougars.
natural part of the landscape, cougar encounter, pick up
especially in the Cypress Hills your children immediately. · Enclose the base around
region. These animals are a sign of porches or decks and keep
healthy ecosystems and sightings Living in cougar country out-buildings closed –
often go unreported. cougars will make use of
If you live in cougar country, here such spaces to den or cache
While your chances of seeing a are a few guidelines to follow: food.
cougar are slim, people need to · Do not feed wildlife. Feeding
be aware of their existence. · Outdoor lighting and
wildlife can attract animals motion-sensitive lighting is a
Although attacks on humans are that may be prey for cougars,
rare, you need to practice caution deterrent. Lights also make
thus attracting cougars to approaching cougars more
and safety when outdoors in your yard.
cougar country. visible.
· Avoid feeding pets outside. · Keep a close eye on your
If you encounter a cougar Pet food can attract cougars children when they are
· Make sure it knows you are to your yard. When possible, playing outside. Bring
not potential prey – do not keep pets indoors at night, children in before dusk when
run. Stand up, make yourself as pets make easy prey for cougars begin to hunt. Teach
look big, shout loudly and cougars. them what to do if they
throw something to distract encounter a cougar.
the animal. Back away to a
safe distance and maintain
eye contact.

saskatchewan.ca/environment
Cougars and livestock Cougar facts · During late spring and
summer, one to two-year old
· There have been few · Cougars are the most evasive cougars become
confirmed cases of livestock and secretive of all wildlife independent of their
killed by cougars in species in Saskatchewan and mothers. While attempting to
Saskatchewan. However, generally travel in low light find a home range, these
landowners have the right in conditions to move or stalk young cougars may roam
Saskatchewan to kill any their prey. widely in search of
predator, including cougars, unoccupied territory. This is
on their own land if they feel · Cougars are the largest feline
of three native cat species to when cougars are most likely
that such an animal is posing to conflict with humans.
a threat to their family, Saskatchewan, the others
property or livestock. being bobcat and lynx.

· Landowners may also · The cougar's primary prey is

designate this authority to an deer. However, they are If you see a cougar, or if you
immediate family member, known to prey on livestock have an aggressive encounter
employee or to a licensed and pets. It will also feed on with a cougar on your
trapper. elk, rabbits, beaver, property, contact your local
porcupines, raccoons and Ministry of Environment office
· If a cougar is taken under this grouse. or call the TIP line, 24-hours a
authority, the local
· Cougars have large home day, at 1-800-667-7561 or
conservation officer must be
notified and will determine ranges and males can travel from your SaskTel cell Phone
how best to dispose of the over 50 kilometres in one day. at #5555.
carcass. · Cougars will generally give
· Assistance may also be birth to two or three kittens.
available from predator
control specialists on
contract to Saskatchewan
Crop Insurance Corporation
at 1-888-935-0000.
 Wolves in
Saskatchewan
Wolves are common in the Wolves can compete with people leash when hiking or walking
forested parts of Saskatchewan, for some kinds of large animals in areas where wolves may be
especially where there is little that we hunt and they also present.
human activity to interfere with sometimes kill livestock.
them. They are well adapted to a · Never feed wolves or try to
wide range of habitats from Avoiding wolf encounters attract them for a better view.
grasslands to meadows to aspen A wolf is a large predator and
· Stay away from known den or is capable of taking down
parkland and boreal forest, kill sites and areas where
wherever large prey animals are prey much larger than a
wolves have frequently been human. Wolves must be
found. seen or have become treated with respect.
In nature, wolves help to keep habituated to humans.
other animals from becoming too If a wolf approaches
· Be observant; watch for fresh
numerous. This, in turn, helps to tracks and droppings. Listen · Whenever you encounter a
ensure that wildlife habitat for howling. Avoid travel wolf, do not run or turn your
remains healthy and plentiful. through such areas at night back on it and do not
Wolves are more successful killing and travel in pairs or groups approach or chase it.
large animals that are less fit, where an encounter might be
injured or inexperienced. This likely. · Face the wolf, stand tall, raise
helps future generations of prey your arms to increase your
remain strong, healthy and better · Make frequent noise to warn stature and keep your eyes on
able to withstand predators, wolves of your presence. This it. Wolves, like dogs, do not
disease and injury. will give them time to move like to be stared at. This will
away. help to discourage a possible
Wolves occasionally attack encounter.
people. There has only been one · Keep all locations of
documented fatal wolf attack in permanent or temporary · Look for an open area if
North America. In recent decades human occupancy free of necessary, and move to it.
the huge increase in human use accessible garbage. This Wolves like to use
of wilderness for recreation and includes campsites and picnic concealment to approach.
industry has brought more areas.
people into contact with wolves.
· Keep your campsite clean.
Our frequent use of wilderness
Cook and store food away
and habit of leaving behind food
from sleeping areas.
scraps and related garbage has
become an attraction for wolves · Dogs may attract wolves and
and other predators that has led instigate aggressive
them to “habituate” to humans. behaviour. Keep dogs on a

saskatchewan.ca/environment
· Where more than one wolf is · Guard dogs may help protect · Habituated wolves are still
involved in an encounter, the against wolves. Select larger wild and still capable of killing
person should decide which breeds and use more than one large animals. However, they
wolf is the dominant risk-taker dog. take more risks around people
and focus attention and than other wild wolves. To get
response mainly on that wolf. · If you suspect livestock has at human garbage, wolves will
The others will take signals been attacked or killed by let themselves be seen in
from that wolf. In these cases wolves or other predators, broad daylight; they will travel
it is better to have protection preserve the scene and call a dangerously close to people,
for your back in the form of a conservation officer. Do not and even approach them.
tree or some other large move a carcass until a
obstacle. conservation officer has Wolf behaviour
investigated. Once an
· If you encounter a wolf and investigation is complete, · A wolf that will take risks
your dog is present, bring bury the carcass to prevent around a person will use
your dog in close and restrain scavenging. observation and 'testing' to
it if possible. This will prevent read someone it encounters.
the dog from potentially · Livestock producers can also Testing may include moving
falling victim to a wolf attack. request the assistance of a about to observe from
It is very likely that the wolf predator control specialist by different locations,
has been attracted by your contacting Saskatchewan approaching at a slow walk, or
dog and will be less likely to Crop Insurance at a couple of bounds toward
approach closer when the two 1-888-935-0000. the person.
of you are together. Making Wolf facts · If the wolf barks it is alarmed
noise will further discourage a and probably wants distance
wolf. · Wolf families live together in put between itself and the
packs comprised of a person, but it may also be
· If a wolf attacks, fight back dominant male and female,
aggressively. protecting something.
their pups from recent years
· Report any unusually bold or and other related, but · A wolf with ears flattened and
aggressive behaviour by subordinate adults. All of the lips drawn into a snarl is either
wolves to a conservation adults help look after the cornered or very aggressive
officer as soon as possible. young. Packs range in size and is warning of an attack.
from two to 20 wolves.
Protecting your livestock · A wolf that canters off, and
· Wolves usually hunt and kill stops to look back is putting
· Changes in grazing patterns other animals for food, but will distance between it and you
and herd temperament may also scavenge on carrion. and is not a threat.
suggest wolves or other Wolves are well adapted to
predators are in the area. killing large mammals.
If you see a wolf in your
· Young livestock are more · Wolves in packs depend
community, or if you have an
vulnerable to attack, so heavily on deer, elk, moose
producers need to be and caribou for food, while
aggressive encounter with a
especially vigilant in the those hunting alone or in pairs wolf, contact your local
spring. are more likely to prey upon Ministry of Environment
fawns or moose and elk office or call the TIP line,
· Keeping livestock confined in calves, beaver and other small 24-hours a day, at
pens or corrals at night will game, including snowshoe 1-800-667-7561 or from your
help to prevent predator hare, woodchuck, porcupine, SaskTel cell Phone at #5555.
attacks. waterfowl, grouse, lynx, fish
and mice.