Human-bear conflicts were up 15 percent in 2024, higher than the previous five years. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said it received 5,022 reports of sightings and conflicts last year and that trash continues to be the number one source of the conflicts. Within the year, 68 bears were relocated and 98 bears were euthanized.

Of those more than 5,000 reports received in 2024, 2,225 resulted in property damage. More than 50 percent were linked to trash; 21 percent to livestock, chickens, and beehives; and 18 percent to bird seed, pet food, barbeques, and coolers and refrigerators. 

This cool bear tracker shows the progression of bear activity across the state. As the year goes on, more and more sightings pop up. 

The state experienced varying levels of bear activity. The San Luis Valley had a handful of sightings, mainly near the Monte Vista wildlife refuge and in the Rio Grande National Forest near Del Norte. 

CPW’s wildlife rehab facility is near the Middle and West Frisco Creek trails and it deals with bear relocations and rehabilitations year-round. 

Colorado is home to an estimated 17,000 to 20,000 black bears. There are no known grizzlies in Colorado. The majority of incident reports, CPW said, involve bears getting into sources of human food, mainly trash. These conflicts can be reduced by using simple steps around homes and properties to prevent bears from accessing them.

In 2024, Colorado experienced varying levels of human-bear conflicts, with some areas seeing increases while others saw declines. Natural food conditions were inconsistent across the state, influenced by localized drought, late frosts, and variable precipitation. 

Nature and human behavior play a role in the amount of bear activity that is seen annually. Drought conditions and other factors that influence the availability of natural food crops for bears, such as a late freeze, vary across the state, as does the behavior of people when it relates to human-bear interactions. 

In 2019, CPW launched a bear reporting system to help wildlife managers track and quantify bear activity and conflicts across the state. The data collected is used to see overall trends and identify sources of conflict on a localized, regional and statewide level. Since its implementation in April 2019, CPW has recorded 26,913 reports of sightings and conflicts with bears. 

The data from the annual bear cycle informs CPW’s wildlife managers where bears are and what they are up to, helping CPW identify sources of conflict and make educated management decisions. If you see a bear causing trouble in an urban area, call CPW to report it.

CPW is aware and concerned that the public is often reluctant to report bear activity over a belief it will lead to the bear being euthanized. Data shows that of the 5,022 reports wildlife managers received on bears in 2024, only 1.95% led to euthanization. 

When CPW is made aware, especially when conflicts first begin, wildlife officers can educate the community, make site visits to help homeowners secure attractants, and can haze bears in an attempt to reinforce their natural fear of humans. In some circumstances, wildlife officers can attempt to relocate bears out of conflict areas before that animal’s behavior escalates to a dangerous level which may require euthanization. However, wildlife officers stress relocation is not a fix-all solution as there is no way to unteach a bear once it learns that homes, garages or vehicles might contain food. 

Below is the number of reports and bears euthanized and relocated by CPW annually since 2021:

2024: 5,022 reports, 68 relocated, 98 euthanized

2023: 3,528 reports, 33 relocated, 63 euthanized 

2022: 4,293 reports, 59 relocated, 94 euthanized

2021: 3,707 reports, 51 relocated, 66 euthanized 

Reducing conflicts with bears

Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers a reminder that simple precautions can prevent human/wildlife conflicts and help to keep bears wild. 

Bear-proof 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.

Cars, traveling 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.

Protecting 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.