DENVER — Bears are out and about in Colorado’s high country, and two recent encounters with humans across the state are once again highlighting the importance of being bear aware this summer.
In Jefferson County, officials with the sheriff’s office there warned residents that bears might “redecorate your ride” after one of them was trapped inside an unlocked vehicle in the Colorado foothills this past Saturday.
The bear, deputies said in a social media post on Facebook, “decided to hop inside someone’s vehicle, leaving behind a mess only a bear could appreciate.”
After trying a rope to open the car and coaxing the bear to come out, the responding deputy gave the homeowner some bad news.
“Your car is destroyed. Oh, gosh. Wow,” the deputy can be heard saying on bodycam video. “Important to lock your cars and keep all food and stuff out.”
Second bear encounter this weekend reported in Montrose County
A few miles out west on Colorado’s Western Slope, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials said they received a report of a bear munching on campsite leftovers at Buckhorn Lakes over the weekend.
The bear in that video can be seen sating their thirst on what appears to be orange juice after breaking into a cooler that was not bear-proofed at the campsite.
“Incidents like this can quickly escalate to future conflict that is entirely preventable,” CPW officials said. “When a bear like this gets a food reward from a campsite, it will remember that spot and continue to come back looking for food.”
Their message to campers? “KEEP A CLEAN CAMP.”
- Denver7 obtained video of both encounters from over the weekend, which you can watch in the video player below:
A good reminder to secure your valuables
The more recent incidents are just a couple in a growing number of encounters with people or their property in the state of Colorado.
In 2024, data shows that CPW received 5,022 such reports. Of those, nearly half resulted in property damage.
State wildlife officials told Denver7 the agency knows that sometimes people don't report bear activity because they believe wildlife officers will euthanize the animal. But agency officials said of the 5,022 bear-related reports from 2024, just 1.95% led to euthanization.
CPW has the following recommendations for how to bear-proof your home, cars and campsites, and protect livestock:
Bear-proofing your home:
- Keep garbage in a well-secured location. Only put out garbage on the morning of pickup.
- Clean garbage cans regularly to keep them free of food odors: ammonia is effective.
- Keep garage doors closed, Do not leave pet food or stock feed outside.
- Use a bear-resistant trash can or dumpster.
- Bird feeders are a major source of bear/human conflicts. Attract birds naturally with flowers and water baths. Do not hang bird feeders from April 15 to Nov. 15.
- Don’t allow bears to become comfortable around your house. If you see one, haze it by yelling at it, throwing things at it and making loud noises to scare it off.
- Secure compost piles. Bears are attracted to the scent of rotting food.
- Clean the grill after each use, clean-up thoroughly after cookouts.
- If you have fruit trees, don't allow the fruit to rot on the ground.
- Talk to your neighbors and kids about being Bear Aware.
Bear-proofing your car and campsites:
- Lock your doors when you’re away from home and at night.
- Keep the bottom floor windows of your house closed when you're not at home.
- Do not keep food in your vehicle; roll up windows and lock the doors of your vehicles.
- When car-camping, secure all food and coolers in a locked vehicle.
- Keep a clean camp, whether you’re in a campground or in the backcountry.
- When camping in the backcountry, hang food 100 feet or more from the campsite; don’t bring any food into your tent.
- Cook food well away from your tent; wash dishes thoroughly.
Bear-proofing your chickens, bees, livestock:
- Keep chickens, bees and livestock in a fully covered enclosure, especially at night.
- Construct electric fencing when possible.
- Don’t store livestock feed outside.
- Keep enclosures clean to minimize animal odors.
- Hang rags soaked in ammonia and/or Pine-Sol around the enclosure as a scent deterrent.
If you see a bear causing an issue in an urban area, call your local CPW office. To learn more about living with bears in Colorado, click here.
