Routt County’s number of reported bear sightings is up 219% from 2025 due to ongoing drought. That’s according to new data from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
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CPW Public Information Officer Rachael Gonzales told KUNC the increase in bear activity is connected to low snowpack and little rain.
“Bears right now are in search of food, and they are opportunistic,” Gonzales said. “They're looking for things right now that are going to continue to sustain them through the rest of summer.”
As winter draws closer, Gonzales says more bears are looking for ways to pack on the pounds, and their noses could lead them out of the forest.
“We're talking 2,000 calories a day, and so to their diet, they're going to add things like acorns. Occasionally, they will also eat bugs as well, and then they will scavenge other things,” Gonzalez said. “But unfortunately, because of the extreme drought that we are facing across Colorado, we are seeing bears struggling to find that natural forage. “
Gonzales said increasing numbers of bears are finding themselves in residential areas in the search for pre-hibernation sustenance.
“For this region, we see a lot of bears already, just because we are in their home – you know, this is their habitat in the mountains,” she said. “But we're seeing them come into these neighborhoods more and starting to find and really focus on human attractants and trash as their food source.”
CPW recommends keeping vehicles, pet food, and trash secure and to avoid feeding wildlife. The agency is asking Routt County residents to put away birdseed and lock their recycling bins.
“You may wash out that plastic juice container, but there's still going to be just enough in there that bears are actually going to be able to smell it,” said Gonzales.
If you spot a bear lingering in your yard, it’s important to make your presence - and the fact that it is not welcome – known.
“Make a little bit of noise, flash a light on and off if it's at night," she said. "Keep an eye on your pets. At the end of the day, we want that bear to feel uncomfortable being around humans.”
Here are some tips from CPW on securing a campsite to keep wildlife away.
