{"id":16129,"date":"2025-10-15T18:03:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T00:03:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/bear-reports-climb-as-food-runs-scarce\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T21:54:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:54:58","slug":"bear-reports-climb-as-food-runs-scarce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/bear-reports-climb-as-food-runs-scarce\/","title":{"rendered":"Bear reports climb as food runs scarce"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Montezuma
Montezuma County Sheriff Steven Nowlin says he\u2019s watched bears stay in apple trees for days, gorging themselves on the sweetness of fruits. \u201cPeople\u2019s apple trees, plums, pears, chokecherries \u2026 these are the natural fruits and foods they\u2019ll definitely go after,\u201d Nowlin said. (Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s Office)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

No bear attacks have been reported this season, but recent spikes in activity have put residents and wildlife officials on alert.<\/p>\n

Reports of bear activity and human-bear encounters have climbed across Southwest Colorado in recent months, including for Dolores, Mancos and the San Juan National Forest, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife data.<\/p>\n

On Friday, one local took to Facebook. the post read:<\/p>\n

\u201cHey everyone, I just saw a big, brown bear walking down Central Street in Dolores.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post sparked debate over whether grizzlies \u2013 long absent from Colorado \u2013 roam near the canyon or the Dolores River. Others suggested it was a light-brown American black bear, possibly blond or with a cinnamon tint. One user joked the animal was likely searching for apples, adding it \u201ccomes to my orchard every night\u201d and it must have \u201cmoved downtown now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another user asked for proof: \u201cI\u2019ve lived in Dolores for 12 years and haven\u2019t seen a bear yet,\u201d the comment read. Moments later, a photo appeared: a big, brown-furry animal perusing prowling through a yard, its eye glinting in the camera flash.<\/p>\n

Some residents on Facebook offered the same sound advice wildlife experts and law officials give: urging caution and staying vigilant during peak bear-bulking season ahead of hibernation.<\/p>\n

They reminded neighbors to stay aware \u2013 to \u201ckeep their heads on a swivel\u201d \u2013 especially with natural food sources like berries, chokecherries and acorns running scarce. The post serves as a seasonal reminder of life in mountain country, where people and wildlife coexist and occasionally cross paths.<\/p>\n

Why now?<\/div>\n

\u201cThis year, activity has been exponentially greater,\u201d said John Livingston, public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife\u2019s Southwest Region.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is likely one of the biggest conflict years since 2017,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Bear conflicts in Dolores and Montezuma counties have risen sharply over the past three years, reflecting statewide increases.<\/p>\n

Reports for the area rose nearly 50% since 2023, with 113 incidents through early October, compared with 76 last year. Although this falls below 2024\u2019s total of 141, officials note the year isn\u2019t over \u2013 and fall is typically one of the busiest months for bear encounters.<\/p>\n

Most incidents \u2013 72 of 113 \u2013 involved food-related property damage, such as bears breaking into trash, fruit trees, sheds or feeders. That proportion remains consistent with past years, showing that unsecured human food remains the greatest driver of conflict.<\/p>\n

Aggressive-behavior reports are low, with only three cases in 2025 and one in 2024.<\/p>\n

\"A
A black bear noses around a backyard tree Monday. Recent sightings in Dolores served as a seasonal reminder to remove bird feeders and to secure pets, livestock and trash. (Photo courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
A black bear snoozes in a backyard tree Monday. \u201cWe\u2019re in hyperphagia \u2014 the period before denning when bears really look to pack on the pounds,\u201d said John Livingston of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency. (Photo courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin said his office has handled \u201cseveral bear reports a week\u201d this summer, describing it as \u201cmore active this year than it\u2019s been.\u201d<\/p>\n

His comments echo what state wildlife officials have seen across the San Juans \u2013 hungry bears roaming nearer homes and trash bins as food supplies thin in the mountains.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a dry summer and poor natural food production, which pushes bears into towns,\u201d Livingston said.<\/p>\n

The dry season is critically affecting what natural resources bears can access. The region has experienced two consecutive years of low moisture at lower elevations, Livingston said.<\/p>\n

Nowlin added: \u201cThe fires haven\u2019t helped, and when they do prescribed burns, that destroys a lot of the natural food sources they have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some oak trees produced acorns this year while others didn\u2019t, Livingston said, and chokecherries came in weak overall. As a result, bears are seeking alternative food sources to meet their daily 20,000-calorie needs.<\/p>\n

Bears work nearly nonstop during hyperphagia to stay healthy through winter.<\/p>\n

In late summer and early fall, before denning, bears are more active and visible throughout the day, staying awake for up to 20 hours instead of their usual eight to 10.<\/p>\n

Livingston emphasized that this time of year, residents are more likely to encounter them in daylight.<\/p>\n

While no bear attacks \u2013 meaning intentional contact with a human \u2013 have been reported in Southwest Colorado this year, there have been several incidents of bears entering occupied homes.<\/p>\n

In those cases, people should immediately call law enforcement. These are treated as serious conflicts but remain rare.<\/p>\n

CPW encourages residents to report any bear sightings, even if the animal just passes through. Reporting helps with data collection and allows CPW to identify patterns or recurring bears in certain areas.<\/p>\n

Human-bear contact<\/div>\n

In 2024, CPW logged 5,022 bear reports statewide<\/a>, with 2,225 involving property damage. More than half were due to bears getting into trash bins or dumpsters \u2013 a top concern of CPW and local officials.<\/p>\n

Nowlin emphasized the issue is primarily \u201ca people problem, not a bear problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey live with us, and they\u2019re here. We just have to educate folks on how to keep them wild and coexist with them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

CPW is seeing more calls about bears getting into trash, livestock feed and yards. Livingston said more people are keeping hobby livestock \u2013 like chickens, goats or beehives \u2013 and growing fruit trees, both of which draw bears if not protected.<\/p>\n

He also emphasized that most conflicts are preventable:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen bears find easy food sources, they\u2019ll keep coming back,\u201d Livingston said. \u201cSimple steps like securing trash and removing attractants go a long way in keeping both people and bears safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Communities in Montezuma County have used grant funding to install bear-resistant trash containers and food lockers at campgrounds, part of CPW\u2019s Human\u2013Bear Conflict Reduction Program<\/a>. Mancos School District, for example, is receiving funds this year for additional bear-resistant containers on school campuses.<\/p>\n

Communities in Montezuma County have used grant funding to install bear-resistant trash containers and food lockers at campgrounds, part of CPW\u2019s Human-Bear Conflict Reduction Program<\/a>. Mancos School District is receiving funds this year for additional bear-resistant containers on school campuses.<\/p>\n

\"Wildlife
Wildlife agencies report an uptick in bear activity this fall. \u201cIt\u2019s really everywhere \u2014 Mancos, Dolores, Cortez, Durango, Silverton, Pagosa \u2026 The Area 15 office is often first or second in human-bear conflict calls statewide,\u201d said John Livingston, spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. (Photo\/Courtesy of Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s Office)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
Safety protocol: If you encounter a bear<\/div>\n

CPW encourages people to call the agency if they spot a bear. After 5 p.m., emergencies are routed to county dispatch. If a bear gets into your home, immediately dial 911.<\/p>\n

Tips to stay safe:<\/p>\n

Runners and hikers should skip earbuds to hear nearby animals.If you encounter a bear, don\u2019t approach. Stop, give it space, make yourself look big and shout \u201cHey, bear!\u201d \u2013 but ensure it has an escape route.If the animal lingers, toss pine cones or small rocks to haze it away without harm.Around homes and schools, use loud noises \u2013 clapping, banging pots or air horns \u2013 to keep bears from getting comfortable.Learn warning signs: grunts, jaw-popping or teeth-clicking mean you\u2019re too close and need to back off.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

year, human-bear reports nearly doubled in counties since 2023<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[28,29],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-16129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-headlines","tag-newsletter"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16129"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16129\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20031,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16129\/revisions\/20031"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16129"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=16129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}