County hosts Living with Wildlife Workshop

Thirty people attended and received practical, real-world advice from the officers and wildlife biologists who were there to answer attendees’ questions. They covered bears, cougars and other problem wildlife and the things you can do to mitigate wildlife conflict.

Provincial Fish and Wildlife officers and wildlife biologists were on hand to answer questions, share stories, and give tips on how to prevent human-wildlife conflict at Yellowhead County’s Living with Wildlife workshop that took place on April 22, 2018, in Peers. Topics included understanding bears, cougars and other wildlife; techniques and tools to reduce risks; what to do in an encounter; bear-proof bins, electric fences and other deterrents, and more.

Following the presentation, everyone went outside where attendees could practice using inert bear spray during a hands-on bear spray demonstration.

“Having this training will help bring more confidence and give a better awareness to all the wildlife in our area when we’re out working on our acreages and farms, or out in the in green zones hunting or hiking,” says Yellowhead County agricultural services coordinator, Melissa Marquis.

The Living with Wildlife workshop, hosted by Yellowhead County, was for acreage owners, agricultural operators, hobby farmers, honey producers, hunters, fishers, campers, hikers and other recreationists to learn how to prevent human-wildlife conflict.