Sightings of bears increase from 2021

Bear sightings rose in the northeast region, which includes Boulder County, in 2022, according to data provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The region had 617 reported sightings in 2022. That’s an increase from 2021, when there were 505 reported sightings, and a decrease from 2020, with 679, according to data from Parks and Wildlife.

In 2020, the total number of reports of bears in the region was 1,333, but that number went down to 794 in 2021.

The difference in sightings year to year in Boulder County could be for various reasons, including weather.

“I don’t know if there is a specific reason why the number went down that much, but I think weather is always a big factor,” Kara Van Hoose, Parks and Wildlife’s northwest region public information officer, said of the decline from 2020 to 2021.

Parks and Wildlife launched a new bear reporting system in 2019 to help track 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,” according to the release.

Since the implementation of the reporting system, Parks and Wildlife has recorded 18,351 sightings and conf licts with bears “of which nearly one- third are traced back to bears getting into trash,” according to the release.

“You can go on our website and just fill out our form with location, time, your information on there ( and) where you saw the bear, so it’s a lot more convenient, rather than calling an office or trying to get in contact with the district wildlife manager,” Van Hoose said.

According to data from Parks and Wildlife, Boulder County ranked fifth in the number of bear sightings in the state in 2022, with 158.

The leading source of conflict in 2022 was bears attempting to access trash, according to the release: “Other constant sources of conflict include birdfeeders, livestock, bears accessing open garages and other human- originated items that are left unsecured.”

“Bear- resistant containers are required everywhere in the city if trash and compost are put out the night before pickup,” said Boulder’s Communications Program Manager Cate Stanek.

Gov. Jared Polis signed HB 211326 in 2022 to reduce humanbear conflicts. “This bill provides funding for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and CPW, including $ 1 million for native species conservation, to be distributed to local communities,” the release read.

According to the release, Parks and Wildlife is aware of the public’s concern and hesitancy to report bear activity out of fear of the bears being put down. “Data shows that of the 18,351 reports wildlife managers have received on bears in the last four years only 2.3% led to euthanization,” the release read.