As the summer passes its peak, the mind wanders toward winter, and bears are no exception. Bruins are out and about, stocking up on food for winter.
That means it is also time for the perennial warning in bear country: secure your trash cans, remove tasty bear treats such as dog food from your porch and keep your door and windows locked.
Save for a mid-July bear attack that left a sheep herder with serious injuries, it has been a relatively normal season for human-bear encounters, said Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman John Livingston.
A lasting high-country snowpack provided water to grow foliage, which kept many of the bears out of Durango trash cans early in the season.
However, the dry July means the acorns upon which black bears often feed are small.
“We could really benefit from some good monsoonal moisture to boost those acorn crops that do look to be abundant this year,” Livingston said.
Trash does kill bears, he said.
Bears can find ways even into locked dumpsters, such as a bear in Ouray that managed to circumvent a steel cable lock in a video posted to CPW’s Twitter account.
If a bear can fit, it will feast.
— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) August 2, 2023
Bears are highly motivated to get around or through obstructions to get into trash and other food sources. CPW officers were on site in a vehicle when this large bear emerged from a dumpster where it was feeding. pic.twitter.com/ETRUcS3pNN
The bear in the video accidentally pulled a dumpster onto its cub the week before, killing it.
Livingston is optimistic that the arrival of monsoon season will keep bears out of trash cans and bird feeders as they enter hyperphasia, eating in excess to prepare for winter hibernation.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
