Bears of Bute

You’ve spent your fare share of time scouring the woods of British Columbia for fresh scat and the prints of a Grizzly but if you haven’t had much luck yet, it’s time you head out to one of the nation’s best parks for spotting bears. No more weekends watching Yogi or Smokey on Direct TV satellite – get out there and see the real thing!
Yellowstone National Park – Careful…bears here are aggressive since tourists relentlessly feed them despite Read the rest of this entry »

Bear hunting is a sport that many people enjoy. However, there are many people who are against it because they feel that it is unethical to kill animals. They believe that all life is precious and that includes the life of an animal. Proponents of bear hunting argue that it is a necessary for controlling the bear population. They further argue that the number of people who are killed each year as the result of a bear attack would be even higher without bear Read the rest of this entry »

The spirit bears, otherwise known as Kermode bears, are actually American Black Bears of a different color. Spirit or ghost bears have long held a prominent place in Native American cultures. They can be found habituating British Columbia’s northern and central costal areas. Spirit bears currently face many of the same threats that wildlife faces worldwide due to human activities.

Kermode bears are a subspecies of the American Black Bear, with a light colored coat, resulting from recessive gene also carried or passed on by black bears. Since spirit bears have dark colored eyes Read the rest of this entry »

If you are looking for a good opportunity for a prosperous hunting trip, consider bear hunting in British Columbia. Ideally situated in prime black and grizzly bear territory, British Columbia offers beautiful scenery to enjoy along side the thrill of the hunt.

Excellent opportunities for quality family time abound when bear hunting in British Columbia, the landscape is prime in just about any season of the year to take advantage. This allows for planned or impromptu mini-vacations where you will have a successful hunt.

You can find guided hunts as well Read the rest of this entry »

It may not seem like professional basketball has much to do with Bute and its Bears, especially a team from Memphis, Tennessee, but without the Bears that roam Bute and the surrounding area of British Columbia the Memphis Grizzlies might play under an entirely different banner.The name Grizzlies actually pays homage to the BC native bear breed, christening the Vancouver franchise when the National Basketball Association expanded to Canada prior to the 1995 season. The Vancouver Grizzlies joined the Toronto Raptors as the first NBA teams to call the Great White North home since Toronto Huskies, also named after a local product of the animal kingdom, back in 1946-47. Originally , the Grizzlies were set to be called the Vancouver Mounties, though due to objections for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, there Grizzlies moniker was chosen as a suitable replacement. Read the rest of this entry »

The Bear Bay Fishing Lodge is an outdoorsman’s paradise, one that sounds almost too good to be true. The beautiful site is located right at the mouth of Bute Inlet’s Bear River on British Columbia’s West Coast, and is optimal real estate for those looking to come face to face with the river’s eponymous species. In the fall, you can get as close as you dare (safety allowing) to grizzlies and black bears in their natural environmentthat’s the season when they flock to the streams to “welcome in” the spawning salmon.With such competition, the fall isn’t the best for prospective fishers, but the lodge is still a great destination any time of the year. During the early spring, the Bute Inlet’s many streams provide an amazing angling experience. There are even helicopters ready to ferry you to the perfect location. When you get bored, you can go hiking on the ridge tops surrounding the bay. Read the rest of this entry »

The Bute Inlet is situated on the British Columbia coast, expanding parallel to Knight and Toba inlets. Running an estimated 80 km inland from its head at Stuart Island, it provides the Homathko and Southgate rivers with mouths to the larger body of water. The Bute Inlet enjoys a feel of privacy and isolation afforded to it by Stuart Island’s shielding location. The island nearly hides the inlet’s opening into the much larger Georgia Strait completely, rendering it easily overlook by passer-bys in plain sight. From bank to bank, the Bute Inlet averages a 4 km width, wider at its onset and slowly narrowing as you move further inland. Mountains shoot up around the inlet, offering a picturesque backdrop as boats float through. Read the rest of this entry »

Grizzly bears are currently thriving in healthy numbers in the province of British Columbia. BC is home to half of Canada’s entire grizzly population and a quarter of all grizzly bears worldwide. Conservative estimates put the total number of grizzlies living in British Columbia somewhere between 10,000 and 13,000 bears. Current grizzly bear habitats in the Kootenay Mountains, Northern Rockies and Northwestern British Columbia are among the most densely concentrated and healthiest grizzly bear populations in the world. Though the grizzly is by no means classified as “threatened or endangered,” the species is listed as “vulnerable or sensitive” due to their intolerance of nearby human proximity and their reluctance to adapt to human heavy surroundings. Read the rest of this entry »

The black bear is actually British Columbia’s most thoroughly distributed large mammal, with only the provinces large urban cores out of its reach. While tough enough to occupy the province’s roughest mountain terrain, the black bear can also make its home on the outer coast and islands of British Columbia. Only 5 of the black bears natural habitat in BC has been permanently forsaken for human development. While a larger percentage of the land supports significant human settlements, black bears, unlike their grizzly counterparts, are actually tolerant of moderate human interaction and unthreatened by close proximity to man. Despite their adaptability, major highways and transportation networks have fragmented and displaced some large black bear constituencies, which has affected population growth patterns in certain areas. Read the rest of this entry »

Though bear attacks are very uncommon, it is still better for hikers and woodsmen to stay alert and on guard at all times. To understand how to defend yourself, you must first be aware of exactly why the bear is attacking you. Though at the point of a bear attack you are probably terrified and not thinking clearly, taking a moment to get your wits about you and analyze the situation could be the few seconds that end up saving your life. First you will want to identify the type of bear attacking you, as black bears and grizzlies attack for very different reasons.While grizzly attacks are a lot more common, this is generally due to the clumsiness of humans than to any sort of predatory nature. Grizzlies attack only when they feel threatened, and while you may not feel you are a threat to the massive grizzly bear, just walking within 10-20 feet could trigger its defensive instincts. Proximity to the grizzly’s cubs may also play a part in its decision to attack. Feeling that its smaller offspring are threatened could be just as alarming, if not more, heightening their aggressiveness. Because grizzlies only attack when on the defensive, it is recommended that when confronted, you should play dead in hopes the large bear will walk away. Even the strongest men are no match for a grizzly in combat, so your best bet is to minimize your perceived threat level as much as possible. Read the rest of this entry »