By John Livingston
Black bear activity is picking up across Colorado, and several of the state’s mountain communities are already dealing with conflicts between humans and bears.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has responded to several incidents of attractant-based behavior from bears this year across the western half of the state. Many of those incidents were tied directly to bears trying to access trash, bird feeders and other attractants, including hobby chickens.
CPW District Wildlife Manager Cody Rarick wants to remind the community to be aware of bear activity and offers tips on how people can do their part to keep bears wild.
“Bears are up and active,” Rarick said. “The majority of conflict calls we receive are generally based around preventable issues. Unsecured trash, bird feeders, hobby chickens and unlocked vehicles make up the bulk. We had a mass failure in our local acorn production last year, and it led to bears looking for other food sources for their calorie needs. If natural food sources aren’t available, it can greatly increase the potential for human-bear conflicts.”
The vast majority of conflicts between people and bears can be traced to human food, garbage, pet food, bird seed or other attractants. When people allow bears to access food, a bear’s natural drive to eat can overcome its wariness of humans, resulting in what biologists call habituation. Bears that get too comfortable around people can destroy property or even become a threat to human safety.
“Conflict potential between humans and bears increases when human food sources draw bears into our communities,” said CPW Area Wildlife Manager Adrian Archuleta.
“Bear conflict management becomes increasingly challenging when sows and cubs are present. In a perfect world, we’d work collectively to avoid scenarios where bears learn at an early age to associate towns and trash with food, creating generational issues. The reality is that CPW cannot allow highly habituated, dangerous bears to reside in our communities, so we need to be proactive in avoiding those situations.”
Archuleta credited the Pagosa Lakes community for its work in investing in bear-resistant trash cans through CPW’s Human-Bear Conflict Reduction Grant. “With that being said, all of our communities need to remain vigilant in their efforts to keep bears out of trouble on an annual basis,” Archuleta said.
Being near wildlife usually delights Colorado residents and visitors. But, when wildlife gets too close, the risk of conflict increases, and wildlife often pay the price. The key to avoiding conflict is keeping wildlife from getting too close in the first place.
“Complacency is what hurts our bears,” said Archuleta. “Don’t let allow bear conflict year deceive you — we live in bear habitat and we should consciously avoid bear conflict every year regardless of conditions.”
It is critical to remove easy access to food. Unsecured trash remains the leading cause of bear conflict in Colorado. Residents should also keep pet food inside, not leave out water, and burn food off barbeque grills and clean them after each use. For properties with fruiting trees or bushes, pick fruit before it ripens and clean up fallen fruit to avoid luring wildlife to your yard.
CPW recommends not feeding birds. Bird feeders, including hummingbird feeders, attract bears and other wildlife and can contribute to the spread of disease. Commonly, bird feeders are what starts the conflict cycle with bears. Even feeders hung high in trees or on homes can be reached by bears that will eagerly climb trees, invade porches and break poles to reach the high-calorie treat. Never leave food, trash, coolers, air fresheners or anything with strong smells — makeup, lotion, sunscreen — in your vehicle or in the bed of a truck. Roll up your windows and lock your vehicle, as bears can and often will break partially rolled windows and open unlocked doors. It is also tremendously important to close and lock home windows and doors, including garage doors and pet doors. Bears that enter a dwelling regardless of circumstance are generally deemed a threat to human safety.
“Just a moment of forethought and considerate action on your part can save a bear’s life,” Rarick said. “If a bear is around your property, do your best to haze it away and make it feel uncomfortable being near humans. Yell, bang pots and pans, set off car alarms, use bear spray, slingshots or other means to haze bears away and make them associate people with discomfort. For those who have chickens, livestock or bees, a properly charged electric fence has always proven to be the best defense.”
CPW appreciates getting any reports of bear activity early so intervention and education can take place before behavior escalates to conflicts.
To report bear activity, call the CPW Durango office at (970) 247-0855.
John Livingston writes for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.