Black bear encounters have increased in Durango as bears search for food after a warm winter and a late freeze, leading to much higher human and bear interactions than previous years.
As of Aug. 13, bear reports in La Plata County had increased 23% from 2025, and within Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Southwest region, reports were 32% above the annual average, a recent CPW agency report said.
There are two reasons for this increase in activity: poor natural food conditions for black bears, and the in-town availability of food, Bryan Peterson, the director of Bear Smart Durango, a non-profit focused on reducing human-bear conflict, said.
Bears find food in town in the form of trash and other attractants, such as bird feeders, compost and pet food, he said.
“Trash continues to be the main attractant,” Adrian Archuleta, area wildlife manager with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said in a public information session on Sept. 9.
Bears are currently in hyperphasia, a period of time where they’re consuming high amounts of food, consuming an average of 20,000 calories each day to pack on weight, Archuleta said.
Bears are omnivores, preferring to eat vegetation, including hard mast like acorns, of which there is very little available in the wild this year due to poor food condition, leading bears to search for food elsewhere, Peterson said.
Bears will not waste time, and if they’re in an area without accessible food, they will move on, he said.
A bear investigates trash on Fort Lewis campus.
In addition to preventing access to attractants, preventing bears from becoming habituated to humans is important, Peterson said.
When humans who see bears choose to yell and scare bears, bears are less likely to become habituated to humans, Archuleta said.
It’s best to make yourself known with noise and keep a respectful distance, backing away slowly, he said.
Bear spray is a very effective tool, Peterson said. If students are recreating on the trails around campus, carrying bear spray is a good idea, he said.
Officers are prepared with bear spray, Deming said.
Carrying bear spray or pepper spray on campus is allowed, Deming said.
If you are a resident in campus housing, consult the housing code to ensure pepper spray is compliant in your area of residence.
Fort Lewis College Housing did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Carrying a whistle can also be effective for making loud noises around a bear, Livingston said.
If you see a bear on campus or in the greater Durango area, you should always report sightings to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Livingston said.
If you don’t want to call, you can also send an email directly to the CPW Durango office, he said.
If there’s an emergency on campus involving a bear, campus dispatch should be called, Deming said.
Bear season begins between March and May, and bears usually den up and decrease activity around the middle of November, Archuleta said.
Next year isn’t guaranteed to have the same levels of bear activity that we’ve seen this year, Peterson said. If residents are diligent about securing all bear attractants and bears are unable to find food sources in town, they won’t stick around, he said.
However, in food failure years like this one, bears that are around 18 months old and freshly on their own may continue to seek food from trash containers and human sources, Livingston said.
“They’ve been trained to hit trash and trash and trash,” he said.
If we do what we can to avoid habituation and continue to secure trash, bears are less likely to come looking for food in residential areas, Peterson said.
Whom do I call?
A concern on campus: FLC Police central dispatch 970-385-2900
Recommended by Brett Deming, Chief of Police.
Resident of Durango in need of a bear-resistant can or bear-resistant can repairs? City of Durango at 970-375-5004
Broken dumpster on campus? Physical Plant at 970-247-7000
Bear sighting? Report it: CPW Hotline at 970-247-0855
When you call CPW to report a bear sighting, be prepared with:
Your name
Location of the bear at the time
Time of the interaction
A description of the bear, fur color, size
Description of what the bear was doing