A fed bear is a dead bear.
Prevent wildlife from accessing fruit trees on your property.
Accessing fruit trees is the number one reason why bears in the Bow Valley are relocated or killed. Fruit trees are an easy meal for hungry bears. Bears are especially food-focused in the late summer and fall, which makes them more likely to take risks, like coming into towns and backyards in search of something to eat. When bears learn where to find food, they are likely to return, and their behaviour may be bolder and more aggressive.
Learn more about what happens where bears access human food.
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Prevent bears from accessing fruit from trees or the ground; it’s the law. Removing fruit from trees in your yard before they are ripe is recommended, but removing the fruit tree itself is the best practice. While you should remove all fruit trees and shrubs, these are the biggest draws for bears
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Crabapples (ornamental or edible)
Apples
Plums
Chokecherries and pin cherries
Raspberries
Saskatoon berries
Elderberries
Red osier dogwood
Mountain Ash
Buffaloberry (Shepherdia)
Many fruit trees are not native to the area; they have been planted by humans over the years. Bears and other wildlife have other reliable food sources that are not fruit trees. Learn more about how to keep wildlife wild (link to space).
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The Towns of Banff and Canmore offer financial incentives to help remove hazardous fruit trees and offset the cost:
Learn more about the Town of Banff’s free tree replacement program.
Learn more about the Town of Canmore’s fruit tree removal incentive program.
Borrow fruit-picking equipment from the Biosphere Institute for free.
Email resource@biosphereinstitute.org for details. Your tree is your responsibility.
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If you don’t remove the tree, it is your responsibility to remove the fruit as soon as it begins to ripen. You can use the fruit or properly dispose of it in a bear proof compost bin, located throughout the community.
Avoid steep fines by removing fruit or fruit trees. Bow Valley communities impose significant fines for wildlife attractants like fruit trees. Fines can range between $250 - $10,000.
Additional resources.
Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley: Attractant Management
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Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley: Attractant Management