Bears will begin to emerge from hibernation any day. On the heels of a conflict-ridden summer, it’s time to ensure that attractants – trash, livestock and fruit trees chief among them – are secure, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials.
CPW has yet to confirm a report of an active bear in the Durango area – but the agency expects to soon. Bears will be feeding on spring vegetation, insects and, later in the season, berries.
But, they’ll go for trash and livestock too, officials warn.
“We kindly ask folks to do their part and keep things secure, especially trash and other outside attractants, best as possible,” Durango Area Wildlife Manager Adrian Archuleta said.
CPW Area 15, composed of Montezuma, La Plata, Archuleta and San Juan counties, along with most of Dolores County and parts of Mineral and Hinsdale counties, saw more bear conflict in 2024 than any other region save for Area 8, composed primarily of Pitkin and Eagle counties.
“We have a healthy bear population and phenomenal habitat down here,” Archuleta said, noting that as the population in La Plata County has grown, so too has the likelihood of human-bear conflict.
Typically, reports of bear activity peak in Colorado midsummer, according to CPW data released last month.
There were 133 trash-related incidents reported to the Durango office last year, well over half the total conflicts reported.
Officials relocated 17 bears from La Plata County last year and euthanized 14, beating out Pitkin County for most relocation statewide. Fewer than 2% of reports led to euthanizations across Colorado.
“We should not let bears feel comfortable in our neighborhoods and around our homes. We encourage people to bang pots and pans, set off car alarms, blow horns and otherwise haze bears away from their homes and neighborhoods,” CPW spokesman John Livingston said in an email. “Bears make very strong associations. That can be good and bad. They'll make positive associations when they get a food reward from a bird feeder being up or trash being left out unsecured. The bear gets that food reward, and that means the bear is likely going to come back. That can lead to larger conflict and can also be harmful for the bear.”
Given the high levels of conflict observed midseason, it’s no surprise that more bears were relocated and euthanized in 2024 than in any year since 2020.
CPW is asking anyone who spots a bear or is involved in a bear conflict to call the Durango office at 247-0855.
CPW is once again soliciting applications for its Human-Bear Conflict Reduction Community Grant Program. Bear Smart Durango previously secured a $90,000 award through the program to reduce human-bear conflict in the Durango area. Applications close May 31.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
