Episode 79: Bear Safety - John Clarke

This week on the Harvest Your Own podcast, host Brad Fenson sits down with John Clarke, the man behind the Canadian Bear Safety Authority. John is a retired Alberta Fish & Wildlife Officer with 34 years of field experience. He’s worked as a District Officer, Problem Wildlife Specialist, and Predatory Response Team Leader. Having been involved with over 1,500 human-wildlife conflicts and investigated 14 bear maulings, John has unique insights on keeping safe in bear country.In this episode, John shares stories from the field, including how aversion techniques like paintball rounds and Karelian Bear Dogs are used to manage bear encounters. He also breaks down practical bear safety strategies for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts—whether you're trekking through bear habitat or setting up camp, these tips are invaluable.Do you know what to do when you spot a bear in the wild or how to interpret bear behaviour in a potential encounter? John covers all that and more. Don’t miss this expert advice from one of the top wildlife specialists in Canada! Tune in now and arm yourself with the knowledge you need to stay safe outdoors.Find out more on bear safety and the CBSA at:Website: https://canadianbearsafetyauthority.com/Like the episode or let us know another topic to cover.Find Brad at:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradfenson/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brad.fensonFind Harvest Your Own at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarvestYourOwnInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/harvestyourownaca/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@harvestyourownacaX/Twitter: https://x.com/harvestyourownWebsite: https://www.harvestyourown.ca/