Bear smarts
Northern Colorado Economic Forecast
Zach Clemens / Estes Park Trail-Gazette
A bear gets into trash on W. Riverside Drive this past summer. There have been approximately 170 bear related calls to the Estes Park dispatch, and a total of two bears have been put down this summer by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
By Zach Clemens | clemensz@eptrail.com | Estes Park Trail-Gazette
Estes Park is surrounded by snow covered peaks, rushing rivers and thick forests, and much of this idyllic landscape is inhabited by wildlife, that can be both majestic and dangerous. Residents in mountain communities like Estes Park must be aware of the wildlife and how human behavior affects those animals, especially bears.
Black bears are often a popular sight in Estes, with many tourists and residents alike clamoring to get photos or a glimpse of these creatures. Not everyone feels the same way about bears though, as evidence by the poaching of two male bears in Estes Park this summer, which is still being investigated by officials.
"I think we have a lot of different opinions on bears," said Jennifer Churchill, the public information officer for the northeast region of Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). "Not everyone shares the same view on wildlife."
There have been approximately 170 bear-related calls to the Estes Park dispatch this year, according to Kate Rusch, Estes Park's public information officer. She said that some of those calls are taken by CPW depending on the location and issue. Rusch said that late summer and early fall are particularly busy as bears begin to prepare for winter dormancy and some of their natural food sources are depleted.
There were 22 calls regarding bears that were fielded by CPW, according to Churchill. While that is less than the 34 calls received in 2016, Churchill cautioned that those numbers aren't totally accurate, and just a snapshot of the bear activity in the county. She said that Larry Rogstad, area wildlife manager for Larimer County, felt there might have been more bear activity, but that problems are reoccurring in the same neighborhoods.
"I do want to highlight that we do keep going back to the same neighborhoods," Churchill said. "There is a lot of belief out there that local residents know what to do and when to do it, but that's just not the case."
Estes Park has tried to curb the bear activity in town with a Wildlife Protection Ordinance that went into effect in 2016. The ordinance includes specific requirements for refuse located outside an enclosed structure — like a house. It requires refuse to be stores in a typical hard-sided trash container with a secured lid and not left outside overnight.
In 2017, the Estes Park Police Department made approximately 123 contacts regarding the Wildlife Protection Ordinance, to follow up on reports and ensure compliance. Rusch said the enforcement is based on officer patrol, auxiliary officer's community patrol and citizen reports. There are times that reports are unfounded and there is no violation, while other times a warning is just issued. So far this year there have been 53 citations issues for violating the ordinance.
"As we expected, there has been a learning curve for the community with the wildlife protection ordinance, but more and more people understand the critical importance of complying," Rusch said. "With just a little extra effort, they're protecting our wildlife and helping keep themselves, their neighbors and their property safer. With Larimer County's similar, new ordinance in the Estes Valley, we're locking down more of the unnatural food sources throughout the valley. We want to help bears gravitate to the natural food sources and stay wild."
Churchill agreed, saying that ordinances like the one in Estes have proven to work, and if people can start to and continue to use bear resistance methods around their properties, there will be a decrease in bears that must be put down. There have been two bears put down by CPW this year.
"We really struggle with this on the Front Range," Churchill said. "People love to see bears and let them hang around, but that is not good. If you care about bears then you have to try to keep them away from town."
Churchill said there are a lot of things residents can do to keep bears away from neighborhoods.
"There are changes people can make that really makes it possible to coexist with bears," Churchill said. "We need to help each other out and remind neighbors when they see a garage open or trash out."
She said that bird feeders could be a big issue, and once a bear finds a source of food, like bird seed, it will go on their internal "food map" and it will be even harder to keep bears away. Churchill said that there are other ways to attract birds, like certain kinds of flowers and pots. She said to keep livestock or animals that are kept outside in an enclosed kennel and never to leave pet food outside.
She said to get a bear resistant trash can, and even put smelly trash in a freezer until it can be disposed. She said if you see a bear, to try to scare it away with loud noises.
"Get an air horn, bang pots and pans," Churchill said. "If a bear is comfortable hanging around you that bear is not going to be successful; make sure that bear is afraid of you."
Rusch agreed, emphasizing that we need to help bears gravitate to natural food sources, so they can stay wild, and alive.
"Our wildlife deserves great respect. We live together here in the Estes Valley, and if we fail to take precautions, we fail our wildlife and we fail ourselves," said Estes Park Police Captain Eric Rose. "Consequences can be tragic; animals can perish as a result. We greatly appreciate our residents, businesses and visitors taking the initiative to protect Estes Park and its wildlife."
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Zach Clemens
Zach Clemens has been with the Trail-Gazette since 2017, taking over as managing editor in 2018. He is a graduate of Iowa State University and grew up in Greeley. He is a life long Broncos fan
Follow Zach Clemens	@zachjclemens
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