Waterton Lakes Golf Course is located within the boundaries of Waterton Lakes National Park and the home to a wide variety of wildlife as one might expect in a mountain national park.  Of course, the bears seem to get the most press and evidence of their presence on the course may be found all over, from the bear paw on the front gate to their special presents generally seen on the course.  I feel that it is appropriate to give an overview of the procedures we have in place to deal with bears on the course.

Our first task is to identify the bear as being black or grizzly.  This is not always as clear cut as one might expect in that a young grizzly might easily be confused with a large brown coloured black bear without close examination of face, hump and claws.  Grizzly bears are reported to Parks Canada and their bear personnel deal with removing the animal from the course.  I find the best criteria to use is to see if the bear has larger hind quarters or fore quarters.  If the hind quarters are larger, it is most likely a black bear. 

The black bears remaining are monitored to determine their potential for aggressive behaviour.  In order to make this determination, we need to know what behaviours to expect from a non aggressive black bear.  Normal bear behaviour is directed towards satisfying its needs.  Bears need food.  Their digestive systems are not as efficient as they could be and so they require large amounts of food to keep going.  .  Bears behaving normally will be in fairly constant motion with its head down looking for the plants and berries that it depends upon for sustenance.  The black bears in Waterton Park consume vast amounts of plant material with a dusting of insects and perhaps a nip or two of meat, usually from carrion. 

It is most important to make sure that the animals are not fed by people so bears do not learn to associate food sources with humans.  A bear that wanders from place to place with its head down for the most part is foraging for food and is not behaving abnormally.  Aggressive behaviour is characterized by the bear making fast motions with its head up, popping the jaws and making a run at people.  We would report any bear demonstrating aggressive behaviour to Parks Canada for them to deal with. 

Please let us know about any bear sightings so we can take the appropriate measures to decrease the chances of a negative bear encounter on the course.  It may be necessary to temporarily close a hole or two to keep golfers and bears safe while they share the golf course.  Sometimes it is possible to view bears on the course, but always remember that they can be dangerous and you should follow the following suggestions to maximize your safety in bear country.

1.  If you are using a cart, stay close to it and if the bear should approach, stay in the cart and move away.
2.  Remain with your group.  A bear is much less likely to be aggressive with a group of people than with a single.
3.  Do not run away from a bear.   Running may trigger an attack much in the same way running from a dog might.  Slowly back away and leave the area.
4.  Never offer food to a bear.  The basic line here is "A fed bear is a dead bear."  Bears must not come to expect food from humans.