These articles are from the Parks Canada website.
This one is entitled, "
You are in Black Bear Country". Read the whole thing ... all the sidebar links.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/docs/v-g/oursnoi...ear/index.aspx
"As a national park visitor, you share this natural area with bears and other wildlife that depend on it for their survival. Although bears are naturally wary of humans, they are unpredictable. By increasing your knowledge of bear behaviour, you can help reduce the likelihood of an unpleasant encounter, and at the same time, help protect the black bear population."
And this one is "
Keep the Wild in Wildlife - You Are in Bear Country". This article also talks about other wildlife, like Elks which can be an issue too. Read all the sidebar links too.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/docs/pc/guide/nature/nature02.aspx
This is a brief part of all the information available on those links:
Bears are naturally wary of humans, and generally choose to avoid us. However, bears may threaten and even attack people when they become accustomed to humans, when they are surprised, or when they are forced to defend them- selves, their young or their food.
"Reduce Your Risk
•Make noise! Let bears know you're there – call out, clap hands, sing or talk loudly – especially near streams, dense vegetation and berry patches, on windy days, and in areas of low visibility.
•Travel in groups, on established paths and trails, and during daylight hours.
•Keep food smells away from bears by properly storing food, garbage and food-related items, day and night, wherever you are. Even empty pet food bowls can attract bears.
•Stay alert, stay alive! Watch for bears in the area and for their sign – tracks, droppings, diggings, torn-up logs, and turned-over rocks. Leave the area if you see fresh sign.
•If you come across large dead animals, leave the area immediately and report it to Park Wardens.
•Dispose of fish offal in fast moving streams or the deep part of a lake, never along streamsides or lakeshores.
•Never approach or feed a bear. Keep a distance of at least 100 metres.
•Report all sightings of bears to park staff."