{"id":45097,"date":"2020-04-03T10:16:52","date_gmt":"2020-04-03T16:16:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyhinews.com\/?p=64055"},"modified":"2020-04-03T10:16:52","modified_gmt":"2020-04-03T16:16:52","slug":"be-smart-because-the-bears-are-back-in-town-cpw-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kift\/local-news\/be-smart-because-the-bears-are-back-in-town-cpw-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Be smart because the bears are back in town, CPW says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A bear broke into a Routt County chicken coop<\/a> on Wednesday and ate several chickens, marking one of the state\u2019s first reported incidents involving bears this year.<\/p>

As the black bear population wakes from hibernation, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has already seen bear activity in eight Colorado counties in 2020. With the onset of spring, wildlife officials know more conflicts are inevitable, and they\u2019re asking people to be smart in an effort to reduce the numbers.<\/p>

Last year, the agency saw over 5,300 human-bear incidents reported with nearly a third of those involving the large, omnivorous animals getting into people\u2019s trash. <\/p>

\u201cWe have to do better as communities,\u201d Matt Yamashita, area wildlife manager in Glenwood Springs, said in a news release that offered tips to cut down on conflicts.<\/p>

For the bears\u2019 health and well being, wildlife managers emphasize that bears should not be eating from the trash, bird feeders or other human-provided food sources, especially around people\u2019s homes.<\/p>

\u201cEvery time a bear gets a treat, a bird feeder, a\nhummingbird feeder, trash, it teaches the bear that people mean food,\u201d said Mark\nLamb, CPW\u2019s area wildlife manager for South Park and the west Metro Denver area.<\/p>

\u201cPeople who think that it’s one time, no big deal, are totally\nwrong,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt is a big deal when you compound that \u2018one time\u2019 with\nhow many \u2018one time\u2019 they get from your neighbors, too. It adds up.\u201d<\/p>

Early season bear reports have put sightings in Boulder and Morrison with bears already getting into trash in Steamboat Springs and Silver Plume.<\/p>

Another bear got into a vehicle in Snowmass Village, and there have been problems with bears and livestock in Delta, as well as a bear vs. dog encounter under a deck in Colorado Springs.<\/p>

In Grand County, encounters with wildlife are simply a way of life, and incidents involving bears are extremely common.<\/p>

According to CPW, male bears usually come out of hibernation first followed by females without cubs. Females that gave birth over the winter are typically the last to emerge from their dens, which typically happens in mid to late April.<\/p>

What’s more concerning is biologists are seeing bears shift much of their life cycle toward human communities, CPW added.<\/p>

\u201cWhen a high-country berry bush yields a few hundred calories\nand a dumpster gives up thousands of calories via leftovers and greasy goodies,\nthe bears will make the easy choice,\u201d the agency explained. \u201cOnce they\u2019ve made\nthat choice, they are instinctively trained by their stomachs to search out the\neasy option.\u201d<\/p>

Lamb and Yamashita both say that bringing the large, territorial animals into areas with people is a recipe for human injury and for dead bears. While nuisance bears can be relocated if they’re caught early enough, bears that hurt people are killed.<\/p>

\u201cThe bear is always the ultimate loser,\u201d Lamb said.<\/p>

<\/i> Tips to prevent human-bear conflicts<\/div>

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