Recent grizzly bear encounters in Alberta might have hikers and hunters reconsidering their excursions.

Three incidents occurred on Sept. 26, one of which was around Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park, leaving a man hospitalized and the area closed.

John Paczkowski, senior park ecologist with Alberta Environment and Parks, says it's definitely unusual to see so many incidents in quick succession.

"This year seems to be a bit of an anomaly in terms of the number of bear attacks and aggressive encounters we're having with people. Not a huge spike, we typically get two to three of these incidents a year, and this year we've seen a few more."

There seems to be a few contributing factors, including a thriving grizzly population (between 856 and 973, according to Alberta Environment and Parks) and an uptick in hikers in Alberta parks this year.

The time of year is also likely playing a role, given that bears will be looking to score some easy food before hunkering down for a few months.

According to Paczkowski, this year's sweltering summer narrowed the window in which bears had access to berries.

"Berry crops vary year to year, and usually a warmer summer is better for the berries. We did see some good berry crops this year, but I think they were a little short-lived because of the heat. So the berries ripened, but it was a curtailed or shortened berry season this year."

With that said, it remains to be seen if the influx of grizzly encounters is simply an outlier or if it denotes a more significant trend.

Either way, it's a reminder of why it's important to keep your wits about you while out on the trails.

"When your foot hits the ground and you get out of your vehicle anywhere in bear country, it's game-on, so to speak. You have to be really alert, make noise as you travel... We're encouraging people to travel in larger groups of four or more because when you're in a bigger group, the chances of a serious encounter go down. If you must take your pet with you, do keep it on a leash. Keep it close at hand because we have had instances where off-leash dogs have interacted with bears and ran back to their owner," says Paczkowski.

Hunters should be extra vigilant, given that making their presence known by making noise is pretty counterintuitive while out hunting.

While there no are trails where bear encounters can be completely ruled out, Paczkowski says there are definitely specific areas to avoid.

"Right now there are collared grizzly bears in Kananaskis country. A lot of them have moved up into the alpine and are going after primary roots, and that's a really desirable area to go hiking for people. Maybe consider not doing one of those alpine hikes right now."

Bear spray is always an asset, though it's important to know what you're doing, should you need to use it.

"Know how to use your bear spray and even practice with it. Practice that quick draw. You should be able to go from saying 'go' to pulling it out and having it ready to spray in under two seconds," says Paczkowski.

It certainly came in handy for a man who came face to face with a grizzly while out on a fishing trip in the McLeod River on Sept. 26.

According to Alberta Fish and Wildlife, the man was followed by a bear for over 500 metres before the grizzly approached, only relenting after the man used bear spray.

The incident is one of the three from Sept. 26 and also led to the closure of the area.

A full list of advisories and closures can be found on the Alberta Parks website.