By Nick Dube

bear awareness

Bear sightings down this year

Sep 23, 2025 | 4:48 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – With winter fast approaching bears are preparing for Hibernation which means more bear sightings and reminders on how to peacefully coexist with the animals. When asked how many bears were put down this year Conservation officer Landon Beisel said the number was very low especially compared to previous years. Following a horrific year in 2023 when 81 bears were euthanized this year the number is estimated to be below 10. So the question is how far into town are the bears travelling and why are they keeping their distance this season compared to others?

“Any of the neighborhoods that are around the outskirts, especially in the greenbelt areas or within the greenbelt near parks like Cranberry Hill. A big reason they havent come in closer is the weather. We have had an abundance of food sources outside of town, so that just hasn’t been bringing the bears into town here.” said Beisel.

With Bears looking to stuff up for the winter months ahead there is no guarantee that they will remain few and far between within the city limits as this is the time of year when they push their limits to satisfy their appetite. Officer Beisel says it’s important now to make sure all measures are being taken to prevent attracting bears to communities.

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“A big thing that we like to push is making sure that you secure your attractants. Things like garbage is making sure that those are secure in garages or sheds. If you have fruit trees, making sure that you pick the fruit as soon as you can, or even bird feeders, if they’re on your balcony or in your property, making sure that you bring those bird feeders in at this time of year. So it’s a phase of hyperphagia for the bears and they go crazy for, going for food. And so things like bird feeders, with garbage, other attractants like that, you want to make sure that the, secure them.” said Beisel.

If you see a problem bear call the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277