Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson - Bears have kept a low profile so far this year in Fort Simpson.

As of Sept. 10 renewable resource officers have destroyed only five black bears because they were considered to be problem animals, said Carl Lafferty, a renewable resources officer.

A bear wrinkles its nose before eating a bit of foliage along Highway 1. Bears are stocking up on food and building fat reserves in preparation for hibernation. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

This number is lower than in previous years. Last year 16 bears had to be killed. The previous two years, 2004 and 2005, were also quiet with only four bears being destroyed in each. In 2002, 13 were killed followed by 15 in 2003.

So far no family groups including mothers and cubs have been shot this year either, said Lafferty.

Despite the low number of bears that have become problematic, calls to the wildlife emergencies line have remained high. The calls are usually about the same bear, he said.

It's not unusual for Lafferty to receive five calls a night on the same bear. Multiple calls aren't a problem, he said.

"I like to know where these bears are," he said.

The most recent incident occurred on Sept. 7. A small black bear was destroyed after it ripped open a tent at the Fort Simpson campgrounds.

Following the destruction, renewable resources officers received reports that a large black bear had been spotted nearby in the grove of trees across the street from the stone memorial near the Sub Arctic. The large bear turned out to be two separate bears that were trying to enter the village, said Lafferty.

Assisted by three members of the RCMP, renewable resource officers spent between approximately 7:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. patrolling the area. Efforts to force the bears out of the area were hindered by curious residents.

"It was a zoo down there," said Lafferty, referring to the number of people who drove by to watch the progress.

Once people report a bear they should leave the area so staff can get to work, said Lafferty.

The two bears stayed in the grove of trees and would occasionally appear on the edge, where they would be chased back by people honking their vehicle's horns. In the end the bears must have laid down for the night or left the area entirely, said Lafferty. After leaving the site at 12:30 a.m. there were no further calls about the bears.

Sightings of black bears usually decline following Sept. 15, said Lafferty.

The wildlife emergencies phone line is left on until the end of the month.

Residents, however, still have to be aware of the bears in September. Lafferty said he still sees people jogging in the early morning hours around the Papal site listening to iPods.

"That's a real high risk behaviour," he said.

Black bears tend to go into hibernation around the end of October and early November, said Nic Larter, the regional biologist.

The exact timing of hibernation can vary according to the abundance of the food supply. If there's lots of food available the bears will stay out longer, eating as much as possible, Larter said.

One possible explanation for the low number of problem bears this year is that there was a good food source so bears didn't need to come into the village, Larter said.

In years with higher numbers of problems, the bears in question span across the age range from young to old showing that it's not just young, inexperienced bears who get in trouble.

That suggests there's less food available, said Larter.