4th Fatal Bear Attack in CO since 1971

[Deleted member 107796]

Sounds like a woman was killed by a bear and/or her yearlings, near Durango. I pray for the family in this time of loss.

I just deleted my rant about the euthanization of the sow and cubs. Facts to consider: 4 human bear attacks in CO since 1971, 212 bear euthanizations in 2019 and 2020, 216 in 2017 alone.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is a nationally recognized leader in conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife management. The agency manages 42 state parks, all of Colorado's wildlife, more than 300 state wildlife areas and a host of recreational programs. CPW issues hunting and fishing...

cpw.state.co.us

 

[Frog4aday]

Four fatalities in 50 years is one every 12 years. Pretty good odds of not being attacked or harmed, considering how many people are out & about in the bear's habitat in CO. But that is of no consolation to the people who lose a loved one. Apparently the gal's dog were no deterrent to the bear(s) since the dogs made it home unharmed. A good reminder that bear attacks & fatalities are rare, but not out of the question. God bless the family. It has to be a painful loss to endure.

 

[westcliffe01]

My wife and I (my fiance then) spent a week in Custer County CO staying at an airbnb. We spent quite a bit of time looking for photogenic sites for taking pictures of her modeling some of her clothing creations. One of the sites we found was up near the Mosca Pass trailhead. Mosca pass goes downhill from the trailhead to the western slope of the rockies down to Sand Dunes National Monument.

We parked some distance from the trailhead and were taking pictures when a sow and a pair of cubs suddenly popped out of a washout, probably no more than 50 yards from where we were. Fortunately, she took off up higher ground with the pair of cubs in pursuit. Just minutes later a guy on a racing bicycle came up the dirt road all by himself and we warned him about the bears. He had travelled over 40 miles to get there and still had to go back... He certainly had no way of protecting himself if the bear had been hungry or rabid.... I think a lot of people expose themselves to dangers and have no idea.

 

[sp6x6]

Just lost a guy here in MT 2 weeks ago grizz.

 

[MOFlatlander]

When Colorado discontinued the Spring Bear Season and bear hunting with dogs the bear population exploded. There are plenty of tags, even at reduced prices. When hungry they head to town and farms. I've seen several dead on the roads from vehicular accidents

 

[Predator 22]

Where I live is very rural but most of the bears stay at a little higher elevation. But as MOFlatlander said when Co did away with bait, dogs and spring bear season the population exploded. I literally killed my bear last year from my back porch! He was getting way too comfortable/close to my house and kids.
CO_Guy why the rant? They killed a few bears that killed a human!

 

[nakneker]

Seems like all the western states are dealing with alpha predators to some extent. Here in Arizona they've been releasing wolves in my favorite area for a very long time. They really haven't made a huge impact until recent years but I'm finding more and more dead elk and deer and few of them are eaten, many are killed for sport by wolf packs. Then they cut way back on the lion hunting here too and in the last couple of years we are seeing a serious Increase in the lion population on our game cameras, serious increase.

Multiple wolf encounters and lion encounters happen here every year with more and more frequency although I haven't heard of an attack here in this state yet. I have heard of several pretty intense encounters, two from good friends who guide here.

We also have a huge wave of people moving here, many from California. Many of the canyons I use to hike, streams I use to fish are now getting hammered. You have to go farther and farther out to get by yourself. With human populations rising along side wolves, lions and bears I'm sure something will happen. Many of the people visiting the woods on the weekends come from the concrete jungle and have little wood sense which compounds the problem. I use to hike and fish without a sidearm, not any more. Too many predators, both the animal and the human type.

 

[sp6x6]

Saw a guy riding his bike where i saw 6 grizz,didnt see spray,tourist=dinner.That was last night,they are developing hiking and biking trails all over mountain,this is a area that i see grizz everyyear.Getting alot of impact from people that dont know better.A forest srvice guy was bike riding last year about 25 mile from me and grizz got him.

 

[Chadp82]

This is very unfortunate. Very sorry for the family of this lady.

I am going to list some thoughts and in absolutely no way am I trying to say it was the fault of this lady for recreating.

I myself go hiking with my family and friends in the summer, and always know that wildlife encounters are possible. All wildlife is cool to watch, albeit at a distance, when I am out for general recreation. Sometimes, they get uncomfortably close. Moose and elk for instance, I don't want close to me unless I am hunting, I will watch from a safe distance.

My general take on the predators and wildlife in Colorado (and probably applicable to other states also) is that we continue to encroach their habitat more and more. This is with housing and recreation. Heck, in some areas you have to reserve a camp site months in advance, and dispersed camping is becoming harder to come by as well. We are building trails for hiking and biking. All of this puts more people, day in and dat out in the wildlife habitat.

This is resulting in predators being more comfortable with us. As far as other wildlife, it strains them also. It strains calving areas when people hike in early spring, for example.

heck, I live in the suburbs of Denver and we hear of mountain lions and bears once and awhile. I am 10-12 miles from the foothills, but they wander down this far now and again. This shows me they are more comfortable with human presence overall. If they lose their fear of us, which I think they are doing slowly, humans will have close encounters with some of them, and some encounters have unfortunate outcomes, as in the case mentioned here.

Go out and enjoy, but remember we are the visitors. Be prepared and do some homework before going to an area. Carry bear spray, or other defense. Stay safe out there.