Recent bear attacks, close encounters prompt calls to bring back Alberta’s grizzly hunt

Close calls and grizzly bear sightings among livestock has some wondering whether Alberta should bring back its long-banned grizzly hunt.

An effort by the Alberta government to protect its grizzly bear population may be too successful.

A number of close calls and videos showing the animals near livestock have some musing about reinstating the long-banned grizzly hunt.

Nicholas Lagarde, who has been a rancher near Pincher Creek, Alta., for seven years now, says he’s never seen as many grizzly bears on his property as he has in the last few months.

“This year has been the craziest for us. We’ve seen 16 individual grizzly bears,” he said.

“Everyone has seen that the population has now increased and now there’s definitely a lot more conflicts in the area.”

His livestock guardian dog, Fenrir, is specially trained to keep his cattle safe. Still, there have been close calls, including last spring when a bear charged at Lagarde’s fiancée, Sophie Noelkes, and several calves.

“When I saw (the bear) coming uphill, he was standing on his back legs and looked super scary and Fenrir had to attack or started chasing him away,” said Noelkes.

The province has had a ban on hunting grizzly bears since 2006, however a wildlife management program introduced in 2024 allowed for the killing of “problem grizzlies.”