Bears...in Denver!

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

In downtown Denver! Denver Police and Colorado Parks and Wildlife responded to a bear call near the U. of Denver just a couple days ago. It's was roaming around I-25 and Colorado Blvd and finally captured on S. Monroe. There was a bear sighting near Colorado and Evans the day before, but, my guess is it was the same one, but who knows!

Not typical to see bears that far in town, but this years weather, that has been rough on our gardens and we have been complaining about all season, has made it just as hard for bears to find forage to fatten up for hibernation. I have seen only a few handfuls of acorns and chokecherries around work, most of the flowers were burned by the Mothers Day freeze.

I know around our house here in Littleton a couple years ago we had two bull elk eating apples off our trees and when I was young, we had a mountain lion wandering the neighborhood. Bears showing up in the heart of a major metropolitan area just serves as a reminder that none of us are as far removed from nature as we may think, no matter how urban or suburban we believe are. It might be worth taking some extra precautions this year, even for those of us "in town", with our trash cans, bird feeders, and pet food, and maybe adding some "Integrated BEAR management" to our vegetable gardens, lol!

On a wildlife related side note, these guys here snuck up on me this morning driving out to do some brush clearing, thought it was pretty cool!

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ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
Original Author

8 years ago

Yeah, pet food and bird seed We had to quit leaving dog food outside because of raccoons. Course, I was talking to one of the rangers at work and we both said we wouldn't even be mad if we woke up in the morning and a bear had raided our stuff, we'd be more upset we missed it!

It's sad, David, most of the time when people "adopt" wildlife, wildlife are often the ones who lose. We had to have a deer put down at the park because it was too habituated to people. A lady had picked it up as a fawn and raised it in her home. A woman in Colorado Springs was just arrested a couple weeks ago for feeding the bears, and one kept returning to her house, I believe that one was put down as well.

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Comments (8)

maxinmontrose
8 years ago
Many, many house break-ins by bears around Telluride this year. Usually a few each year, but there have been dozens this summer. And the mice are already trying to move indoors too. Should be an interesting Fall.

Great pic BTW.....let's hope the elk don't decide to come inside too!
ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Yeah they are hungry out there. I thought the west slope fared a little better then we did on the front range but the CPW commissioner (who is from Montrose I believe) was saying on the radio on Wednesday that they are just as hard up over there.

Course it doesn't help that people refuse believe that living just a stones throw from the foothill means that they should probably take some proactive steps in order to minimize conflicts.

In Roxborough Village, which is less then 3 miles from the Pike NF and surrounded by State Parks and County open space, people leave trash cans out all night and then freak out when they get raided by wildlife.

Elk in the house? Shoot, too bad my tag is for Summit County....
maxinmontrose
8 years ago
My faves are the ones who leave dog food outside....
david52 Zone 6
8 years ago
My fave is the lady in Ouray who used to feed bears on her back porch. But they're so cute
maxinmontrose
8 years ago
They have signs around here. "Feed a bear, kill a bear". Some people just think it doesn't apply to THEM. you can't cure stupid.
ZachS. z5 Platteville, Colorado
Original Author
8 years ago
I remember when I was younger that up in Deer Creek Canyon, the people would often feed the deer and turkeys. My grandfather owned 80 acres up there, I don't even know if you could technically call it hunting, it was like shooting fish in a barrel.

You're right though, some people feel they are special, ironically they are usually the most outraged when animals have to be killed because of THEIR behavior.
maxinmontrose
8 years ago
A sad update. Earlier this week, a bear thought to be responsible for dozens of house break-ins around Telluride was killed after entering an occupied home. I know it had to be done, but I hate it all the same.