Black bears have emerged from hibernation, and they are hungry

Black bears all over the High Country have come out of hibernation, and after six months of fasting in their dens, they are hungry. This is the prime time for bear activity.

Male bears normally emerge from their dens around mid-march; females with cubs around mid-april. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has already received 173 reports of bear activity in 25 Colorado counties this year. Wildlife officials urge residents to secure any food source that might attract a hungry bear.

As human population grows in bear country, along with a lack of natural vegetation due to drought, more bears will find themselves on the wrong side of a dumpster or garage this season.

“Every time a bear gets a treat, a bird feeder, a hummingbird feeder or trash, it teaches the bear that people mean food,” Parks and Wildlife manager Matt Yamashita stated in a news release.

“People who think that it’s one time, no big deal, are totally wrong. It is a big deal when you compound that ‘one time’ with how many ‘ one timers’ they get from your neighbors, too. It adds up.”

According to Parks and Wildlife, human-bear conflicts have increased in recent years, as bears learn humans mean access to a meal.

“Even with a lack of natural food sources, bears continue to have large litter sizes of three to four cubs, indicating they are receiving supplemental food from humans,” Yamashita stated.

Before settlers arrived on the scene, Grand County was home to black bears who roamed in search of plants, berries, fruits, nuts and more. At this time of year, black bears’ main goal is to find enough food to fill their bellies again after a long hibernation.

Early season natural food sources for black bears include grasses, aspen buds and other vegetation. Those gentle food sources help a bear’s digestive system and metabolism get back to normal after not consuming anything for months, according to Parks and Wildlife.

“So there is this phase that is referred to sometimes as walking hibernation, where they are out on the landscape moving slowly and eating what tends to be more vegetative material that starts to pass through their system to get their bodies ready for early summer food sources,” stated Mark Vieira, carnivore and furbearer program manager for Parks and Wildlife, in the news release. “That is when they will move back into the typical omnivore diet that we see bears eating the rest of the year.”

More than 90% of a bear’s natural diet is grasses, berries, fruits, nuts and plants — native crops are all dependent on moisture. Wildlife officials monitor weather patterns in the spring and summer to help determine what forage will be available in the summer and fall.

In years where there is good moisture and lots of natural food sources, human- bear conf licts are down. If there is a lack of natural food sources due to weather, black bears venture out in search of human food.

They follow their sensitive noses, which can smell food up to 5 miles away. Sometimes, humans make the search for sustenance too easy for these resourceful animals.

That cute bear you took photos of peeking at you from the forest may one day get brave and venture into your territory. Bears are intelligent animals that can open doors to get inside cars and homes with ease. They can even open coolers or refrigerators to ransack the contents inside.

Parks and Wildlife says that black bears are naturally wary of people, but the need for food overrides this fear, especially if they have had prior interactions around homes. If a bear has gotten into a dumpster or shed and enjoyed a good meal, they will definitely be back. When a bear becomes too comfortable with destroying property to find food, they will have to be put down.

When a black bear loses its life, that means one less bear is part of Colorado’s delicate ecosystem. Wildlife should be respected as a part of nature.

Bears are only following their instinct to eat. It’s up to people to keep their property safe from damage and prevent needless loss of life. Securing your belongings means bears stay where they belong — in the wild.

There are many things people can do to prepare for a safe bear season. Parks and Wildlife has a “Bear Aware” program, where volunteers host educational booths at events, offer advice to residents, and can even make house calls.

For more information on staying bear aware, visit CPW. State.co.us/bears.