Bear activity in Colorado has been “off the charts” this year, with sightings of conflict on the rise

This year, Colorado’s bears have been busier than ever, especially in its northwest corner, where a cooler, wetter spring has brought bears closer to people and their trash.

Between Jan. 1 and Nov. 1, Colorado Parks and Wildlife received 4,644 bear reports, a 36 percent increase over the same period in 2023. That makes it the third-highest conflict year of 2019 and above the six-year average years for conflicts with bears. and views.

“This year, I think both because of the urban-suburban impact and the impact of livestock and bear predation, the bears are a little off the charts in terms of damage,” Parks and Wildlife Director Jeff Davis said on Oct. 3 Colorado. Parks and Wildlife Commissioner Meeting.

Each year, most bear calls made to Parks and Wildlife involve bears trying to access human food sources. Litter reports consistently top the list, followed by calls involving pet food, bird seed, outdoor grills, compost and more. Typically, animal damage is also high on the list.

“Bears are biologically motivated to seek out the richest food sources they can get while using as little energy as possible,” said Adrian Archuleta, an area manager who oversees La Plata and surrounding counties. in a press release. “To reduce conflicts with bears, people must remain vigilant throughout the year.”

This year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife awarded just under $1 million as part of its 2024 human-bear conflict reduction funding cycle the efforts of individual communities to reduce such conflicts. Of the 15 recipients, eight were in the North West region and all related to the litter attractor approach.

The bear population in Colorado is estimated at 17,000 to 20,000. The Wildlife Agency manages the species in four regions and 18 wildlife areas. Of these, the northwest region — specifically the area that includes Pitkin County, the eastern edge of Garfield County, Glenwood Springs and most of Eagle County — typically sees the highest bear activity.

While Parks and Wildlife has yet to release a full analysis of bear reports by area, this continued to be true in 2024, with the Northwest region receiving the most reports. The vast majority — more than 1,200 of the nearly 1,850 — came from the area that includes Aspen, Glenwood and Eagle County.

Area wildlife managers reported that areas including Moffat, Rio Blanco, Mesa, Garfield, Pitkin and Eagle counties saw increases in conflicts over the previous year. A “sharp increase” was evidenced in Parachute, Rifle, Silt and New Castle.

“This increase is believed to be due to a larger bear population and a shortage of natural food such as berries and acorns in some areas caused by a cold, wet spring and a late freeze in mid-June .” said Johnathan Lambert, wildlife manager for Rio Blanco and Moffat counties.

Similar shortages of natural food sources were reported in the other counties with increased conflicts.

Matt Yamashita, wildlife manager for Glenwood Springs as well as Pitkin and Eagle counties, reported that while bears have seen “slight relief from a great insect harvest and late summer rain events that spurred grass growth’, the animals ‘have already resorted’. to human-related food sources until then,” and the conflicts continued.

This, he said, included frequent reports of bears entering buildings and homes and a “high degree of conflict,” including many that were “serious in nature.”

The situation has reversed in the wildlife management areas that encompass Summit, Grand, Jackson and Routt counties. Although all still saw bear conflicts, the numbers were below average.

“Human-bear conflicts in and around municipalities, including Steamboat Springs, have been manageable and the number of conflicts has been average to below average for the summer,” said Kris Middledorf, area wildlife manager for the counties Jackson and Routt. “The combination of mast crop production, other natural forages and educational awareness may have led to a reduction in conflict this year in Zone 10.”

While reports were low in Summit and Grand counties, Jeromy Huntington, the regional manager, said they continued to see “unnecessary human-bear conflicts” due to “poor garbage management and unlocked doors and windows and/or open”.

In Colorado, bears typically begin hibernation in early to mid-November. Even if they slow down, conflicts may still occur.

In the past month, Yamashita reported that staff in the area have seen several female black bears abandoning their cubs or orphans.

“This behavior is generally associated with poor natural foraging conditions, which causes sows to prioritize their survival over their young,” he added.