{"id":133940,"date":"2026-06-18T19:34:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T01:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/reports-involve-bears-lingering-in-towns-parks-other-public-spaces-cpw-says\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T23:16:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T05:16:07","slug":"reports-involve-bears-lingering-in-towns-parks-other-public-spaces-cpw-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/reports-involve-bears-lingering-in-towns-parks-other-public-spaces-cpw-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Reports involve bears lingering in towns, parks, other public spaces, CPW says"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Colorado
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials say bear activity has generated 1,192 agency reports across the state as of June 12. Officials want to remind and urge residents to use caution when camping and to secure trash and other attractants as bears linger in towns in search of food. (Courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Bear sightings are nothing new this time of year in Southwest Colorado. Especially heading during late-summer months and through fall as they scavenge and pack on calories.<\/p>\n

However, this summer Colorado Parks and Wildlife is paying closer attention to the kinds of bear encounters rather than the volume of reports.<\/p>\n

CPW spokesperson John Livingston said this year\u2019s reports are coming earlier than normal and increasingly involve bears lingering in towns at daylight hours, frequenting parks and neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of times, reports are sightings of bears moving through. What concerns me is we are seeing bears \u2013 usually it\u2019s a young bear \u2013 hanging out, and they aren\u2019t responding to hazing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

A great example is a roughly 200-pound bear found in Mancos in mid June. The male, juvenile bear uncovered a stable food source in unsecured residential trash and stayed for two days. Early June 17, the bear was sleeping in a tree on North Main Street before it was tranquilized and moved to a mountainous area.<\/p>\n

The bear, released several drainages away, must now become acquainted in a new habitat. It must look for food, the same challenge other big-game wildlife species are coping with all across the state while conditions have limited natural food production. Bears go looking for food where it is available \u2013 bird feeders, garbage, pet food, livestock feed, fruit trees and chickens are all easy pickings.<\/p>\n

Livingston said the situation is similar to last year\u2019s drought conditions that led to spotty yields of berries, grasses, fruits, nuts and other plants. He said bears were already going into dens \u201cin a not-great state,\u201d thinner than usual, before emerging this spring.<\/p>\n

The unusual warmth and low snow pack coupled with early budding season led to detrimental spring freezes that weakened berry growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really have to encourage the humans to do the human part. Bird feeders this year especially have to come down,\u201d Livingston said. \u201cThe bird feeder is going to be typically closer to homes, on porches, and if a bear is really willing to push the limits, we can\u2019t have that.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the main concern is the town interloper learns this behavior as a survival skill that\u2019s repeatable each year. CPW\u2019s message is for humans to not provide attractants. That means securing trash, not feeding any wildlife and practicing awareness when camping by storing food in approved bear-resistant containers.<\/p>\n

Two CPW officers assisted the Mancos Marshal\u2019s Office with the relocation of the bear, and Cortez Fire Protection District pitched in by providing a ladder.<\/p>\n

\"A
A Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer relocated a bear from a tree in Mancos Wednesday. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is encouraging residents to secure their trash, to resist the urge to put up bird feeders, and to practice other bear smart strategies that reduce the incentive to bears to stick their noses where they don\u2019t belong. (Courtesy of Mancos Marshal\u2019s Office)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cIt was just like any wildlife encounter when it occurs, he is cranky when he is cornered,\u201d said Justen Goodall, Mancos Town Chief Marshal. \u201cIn rural Colorado, law enforcement takes on many roles \u2013 we are not enforcing the law but supporting Colorado Parks and Wildlife. And hopefully the public understands they need to give us space.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the first bear to be removed in the town this year, and the third bear removal in seven years. The town of Mancos, like Dolores, has a local ordinance citing residents for unsecured trash with a fine up to $499. Only one town resident received a citation last year, and Goodall said the Marshal\u2019s Office pushes for voluntary compliance.<\/p>\n

\"An
An alert was sent to residents Wednesday morning to avoid North Main and Menefee streets while the Mancos Marshal located a bear in a tree. The office notified town residents in a statement that said: \u201cThe bear is being relocated; please stay away from the scene. Furthermore, please secure all trash cans to prevent wildlife from remaining in the area.\u201d (Courtesy of Mancos Marshal\u2019s Office)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cAt our next board meeting, we will address the board that bears are very persistent, and it\u2019s going to be a long summer,\u201d Goodall said.<\/p>\n

The bear\u2019s new location is not disclosed for its safety come hunting season. The decision-making process for wildlife officers to undergo a removal is multifold. Often, the agency designates what it calls a \u201cbear sitter,\u201d a vigilante assessing each movement if, say, the bear is in a tree. The agency generally prefers to leave bears alone if possible, haze them away and only relocate when public safety is a concern.<\/p>\n

The statewide numbers for bear relocations this year tally 13 out of 1,192 reports of bear activity since June 12. CPW officers in Durango have relocated four bears, including a bear from Second Street in Dolores on May 26.<\/p>\n

\"A
A juvenile black bear climbs a tree in Dolores during the spring. (Courtesy of Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s Office)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
A wider view of a juvenile bear climbing a tree in Dolores. (Photo Courtesy of Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s Office)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin said bear traffic in Dolores has been nonexistent over the past two weeks. The activity compares with late-April and May when he responded to several incidents in town.<\/p>\n

On May 11, Nowlin wrote in an incident report that he was patrolling the town and saw a bear getting into unsecured trash at a 19th Street residence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe black bear was on the scene as I approached the bear near the trash receptacle,\u201d the report stated. \u201c\u2026 (It) was hazed with rubber pellets from my issued 12-gauge pump shotgun. The black bear ran and climbed a tree next to a driveway of the residence and later left the area.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report stated it was later determined the owner of the residence was unable to latch the bear-resistant lock, and a warning was issued.<\/p>\n

awatson@the-journal.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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