BearSee
Practical habits for hiking, camping, and travelling through bear country.
Before you go
Spray. Sound. Storage.
Call 911 if anyone is in immediate danger. For non-emergency sightings, report directly to the local wildlife or park dispatch line, not BearSee.
Use the table below for common Canadian bear-country reporting lines, and check the local park or municipality when you are outside these areas.
Do not use colour alone: black bears can be brown or cinnamon. Grizzlies often have a shoulder hump, a dished face, short rounded ears, and long front claws.
If you are unsure, keep distance, avoid crowding the bear, and describe what you saw when reporting the sighting.
Use bear spray if the bear approaches aggressively within range. If a defensive bear makes contact, play dead; if a predatory or non-defensive bear attacks, fight back.
It can be difficult to read the situation under stress, so prevention matters most: make noise, carry spray, keep food secured, and leave the bear an escape route.
Give the bear space, get indoors or into a vehicle if needed, and remove attractants only when it is safe. Do not approach, feed, crowd, or haze the bear yourself.
Secure garbage, compost, coolers, pet food, bird seed, barbeques, and scented items so the bear does not learn to return for food.
Report immediate threats, aggressive behaviour, injured wildlife, bears accessing food, and bear sightings requested by parks or local authorities. Share the exact place, time, species if known, behaviour, and direction of travel.
BearSee reports help other trip planners, but they are not sent to emergency services, conservation officers, or park dispatch.
Keep it on your body, not buried in a pack, and check the expiry date before the trip.
Talk, clap, or call out near blind corners, loud water, dense brush, and berry patches.
Store food, garbage, cookware, toiletries, and scented items in bear-safe storage.
Affiliate gear recommendations are kept separate from this guidance so safety advice stays clear.
Call 911 for immediate danger. For non-emergency bear reports, use the local wildlife or park dispatch line below.
| Where | Who | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immediate danger | Police, fire, or ambulance | 911 | Emergency services |
| British Columbia | BC Conservation Officer Service RAPP line | 1-877-952-7277 | Official source |
| Banff National Park | Parks Canada Banff Dispatch | 403-762-1470 | Official source |
| Kananaskis / Bow Valley | Kananaskis Emergency Services Dispatch | 403-591-7755 | Official source |
| Ontario | Bear Wise reporting line | 1-866-514-2327 | Official source |
| Other national parks | Parks Canada emergency contacts | Use the park dispatch line | Official source |
Numbers verified from official public pages on September 29, 2026.
Affiliate gear recommendations are kept separate from this guidance so safety advice stays clear.
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Practical habits for hiking, camping, and travelling through bear country.