The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Bear sightings expected to increase as summer continues
By Olivia Lueckemeyer
Encounters with wildlife have been minimal so far this season, a state of affairs that area wildlife manager for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife J Wenum attributes to the abundance of food within the animals’ natural habitats.
“So far it’s been a good start to the summer,” Wenum said. “There have been a few minor reports here and there, but nothing of real concern or major conflict. There are a lot of natural food sources out there; we had a pretty good spring with decent moisture.”
The Mt. Crested Butte Police Department also related limited issues with wildlife, but administrative assistant Marjorie Trautman says a few unlucky mountain residents fell victim to bears breaking into their vehicles.
“There has been a bear frequenting Paradise Road that accessed numerous vehicles,” Trautman said. “No major damage occurred, but still, a bear entering a vehicle in general causes some damage and certainly leaves behind an unpleasant odor, to say the least. The residents are aware of the situation and are taking appropriate action to mitigate further problems.”
Paradise Road resident Melanie Lodovico‘s car was one of several vehicles broken into on May 15. Her car was unlocked, but no food was left in the vehicle. Fortunately, minimal damage occurred as a result of the incident.
“We woke up one morning to the car door open and mud all over the front seats and console,” Lodovico explained. “There was no real damage, except for a couple of claw holes in the passenger seat. We will continue to make sure to take any and all food out of the car, and now we have to lock our doors at night, which is taking some getting used to.”
According to Crested Butte chief marshal Tom Martin, bear activity in town has been marginal, but he anticipates that reports will increase as the season continues.
“We have had a few reports of bear activity in town lately, but well below the normal reports for this time of year,” Martin said. “That usually means there is an abundant food supply in the backcountry. I would anticipate that bear activity would pick up throughout the summer and fall.”
Executive director for the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab Ian Billick reported an aggressive bear causing problems in Gothic on July 5. The animal popped out the window of a vehicle, attempted to access several cabins, and was successful in breaking into the dining hall, where it delighted in the spoils of a full trashcan.
It’s rather early for bear encounters in Gothic, Billick explained, since usually the animals wait to come around until the area is less populated. RMBL employees are taking the necessary precautions to prevent further incidents.
“Parks and Wildlife came out and gave us a couple of things we can do if it returns, but it hasn’t returned yet,” Billick said. “We are locking the dining hall and making sure cabins are secured and that people aren’t leaving any food out. We are hoping that if the bear comes out, it will have an unpleasant experience, not find any food and not try to come back.”
Meow….
Although none of the departments have received reports of cat encounters, Wenum said best practice to avoid run-ins with mountain lions when utilizing the backcountry is to make your presence known.
“They need to know you are in the area and that they have a route out of there,” Wenum said. “If they perceive they are cornered, that is when something may happen.
“Make noise, especially in bear and lion country,” he continued. “It’s best to travel in groups rather than individually, and keep an eye on kids and pets. Don’t let them get too far ahead of the group.”
If you do encounter a mountain lion, Wenum says to make yourself appear large and refrain from turning and running away.
“Running away can trigger an instinct in [mountain lions] to think you are something they can eat,” Wenum said. “If they come in too close, throw rocks, sticks, or anything you can get your hands on. If you were to be attacked, fight back.”
Of course, keeping a clean campsite, car and residence is the number one deterrent when it comes to avoiding wildlife. According to Wenum, last week reports of a young male bear poking around several dispersed campsites in Taylor Park due to the presence of unsecured coolers led to a situation in which Colorado Parks and Wildlife was forced to discourage the animal from returning.
“He was kind of persistent and kept coming back, so we tried a few aversion techniques with a Taser and rubber buckshot,” Wenum explained. “In a circumstance like this we try to educate in terms of appropriate behavior: don’t leave trash or coolers out. When you aren’t using it, it should be in your car or in the trunk of the vehicle, with the windows up and doors secured.”
In the case of an encounter with wildlife, especially if an animal is acting abnormally, Wenum encourages backcountry users to report incidents to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Gunnison Wildlife Service Center.
“If folks are hiking and see an animal and want to report it, we will document it,” Wenum said. “It helps us know locations and known activities and then we can work with other agencies to keep people informed.”
For safety tips and additional information on dealing with wildlife, visit www.cpw.state.co.us.
