Drought drives record bear activity as CPW urges Coloradans to take actions, new bill enhances state’s ability to ticket for negligently luring bears

Bears will be very active the next few months as they prepare for winter. Keep any possible food sources secured to prevent human-bear conflicts and call CPW if you see a bear near your home.

August 13, 2026

DENVER — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is urging Coloradans to be especially vigilant about securing trash and other food sources as drought conditions limit natural foods for black bears and drive a record number of bear reports across the state.

From Jan. 1 through Aug. 13, CPW received 6,129 reports of bear sightings and conflicts, compared with 3,115 during the same period in 2025. This year is on pace to have the highest number of bear reports since CPW implemented its statewide digital reporting system in 2019.

The increase comes as bears enter one of the most critical periods of their annual biological cycle. In late summer and fall, black bears enter hyperphagia, a natural phase when they can spend up to 20 hours a day searching for food as they build the fat reserves needed to survive the winter.

That search is especially challenging this year. Low mountain snowpack, wildfires and drought have reduced the availability of natural foods such as berries, fruits, nuts, plants and grasses in parts of Colorado.

A lack of natural food can have consequences beyond an individual bear being hungry. Adequate nutrition and fat reserves are important to reproduction and cub survival. Female black bears use delayed implantation–fertilized egg floats for months before attaching to the uterine wall so fetal growth occurs during winter hibernation–and reproductive success can be affected when a sow enters the den without sufficient body conditions. Poor nutrition can also affect a mother's ability to support and nurse cubs, potentially reducing cub survival.

As natural foods become harder to find, bears may travel farther and take greater risks to eat  the calories they need. That can bring them into neighborhoods and other developed areas where trash, bird seed, pet food, barbecue grills and other human food sources provide an easy meal.

CPW is reminding the public that a difficult natural food year is not a reason to feed bears. Providing food — intentionally or by negligently leaving attractants unsecured — can make a dangerous situation worse.

Bears that repeatedly get food around homes can lose their natural wariness of people and learn to return to human areas. Once that behavior is established, bears can cause property damage, create threats to human safety and ultimately face relocation or euthanasia.

Nearly half of the bear incidents reported in Colorado in 2025 occurred during August, September and October. A bear's annual search for calories can take it outside its typical territory, making encounters in communities more likely during this time of year.

Preventing bears from accessing human food is one of the most effective ways Coloradans can help bears during a poor natural food year. Securing attractants allows bears to continue searching for natural foods instead of learning that homes and neighborhoods provide an easier source of calories.

New law strengthens penalties for knowingly luring bears
A new Colorado law that strengthens enforcement against people who knowingly leave out food or edible waste that can lure bears took effect Aug. 12.

House Bill 26-1342 amended Colorado law by changing the culpable mental state for luring bears from “intentionally” to “knowingly.” The change removes the requirement that law enforcement prove a person intended to lure a bear and instead allows enforcement when a person knowingly places food or edible waste in the open under circumstances where there is a reasonable probability it will attract a bear.

The law also removes the requirement that first-time offenders receive a warning. CPW officers and other peace officers now have discretion to issue either a warning or a violation when a person's knowing actions result in circumstances likely to lure a bear.

For a third or subsequent offense, the fine increases from $2,000 to $5,000. The law does not apply to acts related to agriculture. Food or edible waste also does not include live animals or food grown in the open before harvest.

CPW supported HB 26-1342, which was developed following stakeholder input through the agency's statewide bear working group.

Live BearWise®. Keep bears wild.
As a member of BearWise, CPW encourages everyone to share BearWise information with their neighbors and communities to help prevent conflicts with bears. CPW asks all residents and visitors to help save Colorado’s bears by being actively bear prepared throughout the year. Human-bear conflicts are most often traced back to human behavior. Living BearWise is the most effective way to prevent human-caused conflicts with bears.

Six At-Home BearWise Basics

1. Never Feed or Approach Bears - Intentionally feeding bears or allowing them to find anything that smells or tastes like food teaches bears to approach homes and people looking for more. Bears will defend themselves if a person gets too close, so don’t risk your safety and theirs!
2. Secure Food, Garbage and Recycling - Food and food odors attract bears, so don’t reward them with easily available food, liquids or garbage.
3. Remove Bird Feeders When Bears Are Active - Birdseed and grains have lots of calories, so they’re very attractive to bears. Removing feeders is the best way to avoid creating conflicts with bears.
4. Never Leave Pet Food Outdoors - Feed pets indoors when possible. If you must feed pets outside, feed in single portions and remove food and bowls after feeding. Store pet food where bears can’t see or smell it.
5. Clean & Store Grills - Clean grills after each use and make sure that all grease, fat and food particles are removed. Store clean grills and smokers in a secure area that keeps bears out.
6. Alert Neighbors to Bear Activity - See bears in the area or evidence of bear activity? Tell your neighbors and share information on how to prevent conflicts with bears. Bears have adapted to living near people; now it’s up to us to adapt to living near bears.

Six Outdoor BearWise Basics

1. Stay Alert & Stay Together - Pay attention to your surroundings and stay together. Walk, hike, jog, or cycle with others when possible. Keep kids within sight and close by. Leave earbuds at home and make noise periodically so bears can avoid you.
2. Leave No Trash or Food Scraps - Double bag your food when hiking and pack out all food and trash. Don’t burn food scraps or trash in your fire ring or grill. Leaving scraps, wrappers, or even “harmless” items like apple cores teaches bears to associate trails and campsites with food.
3. Keep Dogs Leashed - Letting dogs chase or bark at bears is asking for trouble; don’t force a bear to defend itself. Keep your dogs leashed at all times or leave them at home.
4. Camp Safely - Set up camp away from dense cover and natural food sources. Cook as far from your tent as possible. Do not store food, trash, clothes worn when cooking, or toiletries in your tent. Store in approved bear-resistant containers OR out of sight in locked vehicle OR suspended at least 10 feet above the ground and 10 feet from any part of the tree. Local regulations vary.
5. Know What To Do If You See a Black Bear - If you see a bear before it notices you, don’t approach. Stand still, enjoy, then quietly move away. If a bear sees you, back away slowly. Never run; running may trigger a chase response. If a bear approaches, hold your ground, wave your arms and yell “Hey Bear” until it leaves. Stay with your group. If it keeps approaching, use bear spray. If a black bear makes contact with you, do NOT play dead; fight back aggressively.
6. Carry Bear Spray & Know How To Use It - Bear spray is proven to be the easiest and most effective way to deter a bear that threatens you. It doesn’t work like bug repellent, so never spray your tent, campsite or belongings.

This year is on pace to be a record year for bear reports in Colorado since 2019. CPW rolled out a statewide digital reporting system in 2019 to report bear-related incidents in the state.

CPW is providing some early numbers this year to help the media share context on bear reports in Colorado ahead of the busiest time of year for bear activity.

Historic Bear Incident Reports
Jan. 1, 2026 to Aug. 13, 2026: 6129
2025 annual total: 5299
2024 annual total: 4927
2023 annual total: 3529 Preliminary 2026 Bear Reporting Data For more information on bears in Colorado, visit cpw.state.co.us/living-bears. If you have questions or need to report bear problems, call your local CPW office.

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