Fall is fast approaching, and with it has come the time of year where reports of bear activity are increasing as the bears prepare for winter.
As of Sept. 4, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Southwest Region Public Information Officer John Livingston reported, CPW had 157 reports of bear activity in Archuleta County.
Of those, 51 had come since Aug. 15, indicating the uptick.
Locals have also reported bears in multiple areas, including in driveways, on roofs, in trees close to houses and in the laundry room of a local care facility.
According to Livingston, in the case of the bear in the laundry room on Aug. 30, it was not immediately clear how the bear got in there.
“We aren’t sure yet if the door was left open or unlocked,” he states in an email to The SUN.”
Livingston added the bear got stuck in the laundry room and Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office deputies who responded first were able to get the bear out of the building.
“The bear was still hanging around the area only about 120 yards from the facility when our first officer arrived,” he reports. “One of our wildlife officers darted the bear.”
Livingston adds, “This same bear had been handled by CPW officers a week earlier and relocated after multiple nuisance incidents, but it quickly made its way back.”
He adds that because the bear entered an occupied dwelling the previous night and had already previously been relocated just last week, the bear was put down.
According to CPW, over half of bear incident reports in 2023 occurred in the months of August, September and October.
Reported conflicts with bears most commonly result from attractants such as trash, bird seed, pet food, and barbecue grills, the agency reports. When bears become too comfortable around people, they can destroy property or even become a threat to human safety.
“Research shows that bears prefer natural sources of food. But, they will seek out sources of human-provided food if it’s available, which can become dangerous to humans,” said CPW Northwest Region Senior Wildlife Biologist Brad Banulis. “Preventing bears from relying on human food sources takes a community effort, and it’s important that we all take proactive steps to limit human food sources in order to avoid any possible conflicts with bears and bear-proof our homes.”
A black bear’s natural diet consists of berries, fruits, nuts, plants and grasses that grow naturally in the foothills and forests. When natural sources of food become scarce, a bear’s drive to search for food can overcome its fear of humans, the agency states.
Hyperphagia
CPW reported in late August that black bears in Colorado are entering hyperphagia and will spend up to 20 hours a day trying to search out and eat as much food as possible as they fatten up for winter.
Hyperphagia, the agency states, is an increase in feeding activity driven by biological need.
“In the coming months, it is critical that people are vigilant and proactive in removing all attractants from outside homes and campsites in order to prevent conflicts and encounters with black bears,” a CPW press release states.
According to the agency, 20 chicken sandwiches, 10 large orders of french fries, 10 soft drinks and 10 milkshakes is the approximate fast food order needed to total 20,000 calories, which is how many calories hyperphagia drives a hungry black bear to consume every single day as they build up their fat reserves to survive the winter.
Be bear aware
CPW offers a reminder that by taking some simple precautions, you can avoid human/wildlife conflicts and help to keep bears wild, and the agency offers the following tips.
Bear-proofing your home:
• Keep garbage in a well-secured location. Only put out garbage on the morning of pickup.
• Clean garbage cans regularly to keep them free of food odors: ammonia is effective.
• Keep garage doors closed. Do not leave pet food or stock feed outside.
• Use a bear-resistant trash can or dumpster.
• Bird feeders are a major source of bear/human conflicts. Attract birds naturally with flowers and water baths. Do not hang bird feeders from April 15 to Nov. 15.
• Don’t allow bears to become comfortable around your house. If you see one, haze it by yelling at it, throwing things at it and making loud noises to scare it off.
• Secure compost piles. Bears are attracted to the scent of rotting food.
• Clean the grill after each use, and clean up thoroughly after cookouts.
• If you have fruit trees, don’t allow the fruit to rot on the ground.
• Talk to your neighbors and kids about being Bear Aware.
Cars, traveling and campsites:
• Lock your doors when you’re away from home and at night.
• Keep the bottom-floor windows of your house closed when you’re not at home.
• Do not keep food in your vehicle; roll up windows and lock the doors of your vehicles.
• When car-camping, secure all food and coolers in a locked vehicle.
• Keep a clean camp, whether you’re in a campground or in the backcountry.
• When camping in the backcountry, hang food 100 feet or more from the campsite; don’t bring any food into your tent.
• Cook food well away from your tent; wash dishes thoroughly.
Protecting your chickens, bees, livestock:
• Keep chickens, bees and livestock in a fully covered enclosure, especially at night.
• Construct electric fencing when possible.
• Don’t store livestock feed outside.
• Keep enclosures clean to minimize animal odors.
• Hang rags soaked in ammonia and/or Pine-Sol around the enclosure as a scent deterrent.
CPW asks all residents and visitors to help save Colorado’s bears by being actively bear aware throughout the late summer and fall seasons. Bear conflicts and, unfortunately, bear euthanization is most often traced back to human behavior. It is all of our responsibility to help minimize risks to humans and bears alike by being mindful of our impacts.
For more information on bears in Colorado, visit cpw.state.co.us/living-bears. If you have questions or need to report bear problems, call your nearest CPW office.
Additional information can be found at https://cpw.state.co.us/protect-your-home-wildlife.
randi@pagosasun.com
