Bear-human conflicts in Colorado this year were the most since 2019

Conflicts between bears and humans continue to rise in plenty of areas of Colorado including the Front Range according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife which is urging people to remove food attractants from their properties Statewide the number of ursine sightings and conflicts with humans this year totaled as of Dec the highest number for January through November since in Last year that number came in at while in it was The seven-year average is An estimated to bears make their homes in Colorado CPW commented Bear-human conflicts continue to be a vital issue along the Front Range according to Scott Murdoch CPW wildlife manager for an area that includes Clear Creek Gilpin Park counties and the west side of Jefferson County Roadkills were very crucial this year with a higher incidence than in previous years There were localized food failures from the dry fall which could be partially responsible for the higher-than-normal numbers of roadkills in the area Wildlife officers continue to deal with trash and bird hummingbird feeders Murdoch added Unoccupied homes have been of particular interest to bears this year Bear conflicts were frequent in Arapahoe Douglas Elbert and the east side of Jeffco according to the release especially in parts of Douglas County from mid-summer into early fall El Paso and Teller counties including Colorado Springs saw important rises Human-bear interactions were described a high in the CPW area that includes Boulder Broomfield and southern Larimer County including Loveland and part of Weld County Attractants in that area included trash bird seed beehives livestock tents homes and garages vacation cabins vehicles and pet foods Summit and Grand counties saw a notable increase in bear home invasions according to Jeromy Huntington wildlife manager for that area In Routt and Jackson counties located in northwest Colorado overall interactions were down but remained steady within the city limits of Steamboat Springs Jason Surface wildlife manager for preponderance of Larimer and Weld counties mentioned has been a pretty quiet year because there was adequate forage for bears in the wild Fort Collins and nearby towns didn t see a large number of bear interactions We had a limited moving through town from time to time Surface declared but they did not cause a multitude of problems Counties in the Four Corners area Archuleta Dolores La Plata and Montezuma saw lots of them We saw a second consecutive year of high levels of human-bear conflict with officers working around the clock much of the summer and we continue to manage human-bear conflicts in November noted John Livingston citizens information officer for the southwest region This has come in the face of two winters in a row with almost no low-elevation snowpack and well below average snow in the high country paired with a hot dry summer with little to no moisture until heavy rains in September and October Natural food availability was spotty in greater part areas at best Similar conditions were present in counties to the north of that area Montrose Delta Mesa Ouray and San Miguel Our area saw a partial food failure with spotty food production and overall low mast crops fruits nuts and seeds of woody plants that serve as a crucial food source for wildlife like deer bears squirrels and birds explained wildlife manager Rachel Sralla This was not surprising following two consecutive winters of below average snowfall especially at lower elevations We had several issues of bears in homes particularly on the west side of our coverage area as well as Telluride and Mountain Village Roadkill mortalities were also increased with bears on the move looking for scarce natural foods available Related Articles Bear caught and relocated after a stay in Broomfield area But in Eagle and Pitkin counties which include Aspen and Glenwood Springs conflicts were remarkably low according to wildlife manager Matt Yamashita The Gunnison Basin San Luis Valley and Upper Arkansas River Valley had average years Mesa and Garfield counties including Grand Junction had significantly less than in the previous five years according to wildlife manager Kirk Oldham Despite a relatively dry spring and early summer natural food sources later in the summer and early fall were productive Oldham revealed This doesn t mean our communities do not need to stay vigilant and engaged on reducing attractants CPW maintains a webpage describing black bear behavior what to do to avoid attracting them and what to do in the event of a confrontation Subscribe to our weekly newsletter The Adventurist to get outdoors news sent straight to your inbox