Bears causing problems in valley

Could be the work of a single mischievous culprit

by Olivia Lueckemeyer

Multiple reports of bear break-ins to both homes and vehicles in Mt. Crested Butte are beginning to raise the question among residents: Is this the work of one ambitious animal?

According to records and administrative assistant for the Mt. Crested Butte police Marjorie Trautman, typical bear behavior would indicate this is a strong possibility, although it’s impossible to say with 100 percent certainty.

“It is my understanding that bears have up to a 50 mile radius as their area and typically, two bears are not going to mess in each other’s footprint,” she said. “That’s when we run into problems—when too many bears populated in a certain area get into it with each other. They tend to be the only one in their area until another bear comes along and displaces them.”

Earlier this month, the News reported on an aggressive bear breaking into numerous vehicles on Paradise Road, and according to resident Melanie Lodovico, the animal has since returned searching for food.

“A couple of weeks ago he was in my car again,” Lodovico said. “It was the one night I forgot to lock my door, so I wonder if he’s been trying. He then came right over to our sliding glass door of our bedroom and looked in.”

Summer resident Mickey Bott also reported two separate incidents involving a bear in pursuit of groceries belonging to a friend who had come to visit. The gentleman had purchased nearly $300 worth of food and stored it in a downstairs refrigerator on Cinnamon Mountain Road, only to discover that evening a bear had entered the home, dumped out the contents of the refrigerator, consumed the food, and promptly exited the premises.

“He heard a huge thump and said it sounded like someone was dragging a body across the floor!” Bott exclaimed. “It was a bear. He had turned over the freezer, ate all of the food and left.”

Two nights later the same gentleman relocated to stay the night at the San Moritz Condos, approximately a mile and a half south of his previous accommodations. He had replenished his supply of food, and in a bizarre twist of fate, sometime between 3 and 7 a.m., a bear came through the lever-operated door and once again raided the contents of his groceries.

The bear “ate his ice cream and yogurt, all of the good stuff,” Bott said. “The tracks were across the rugs; you could follow him back up into the woods. He took cherries and left the stones and stems in a neat pile outside.”

Apparently the animal returned a second time, but fortunately was unsuccessful in its latest attempt to break into the condo.

An additional report was made to the Mt. Crested Butte Police of a bear in the Pristine Point Subdivision out Washington Gulch that had a few individuals “cornered” by Long Lake. Trautman explained that the bear was probably a “young male looking to establish a territory,” and that the man who helped rescue the individuals “has been referred to the Department of Parks and Wildlife for ideas on how to mitigate potential problem encounters.”

It seems the bear problem has also extended into town. According to Crested Butte police chief Tom Martin, the Marshal’s Office has received numerous reports of a 150-pound bear on the northwest side of town accessing garbage cans.

“Reports are that he is extremely friendly and bold,” Martin said. “That’s actually not good. We have tried to stop him from coming into town by shooting non-lethal rubber balls at him.”

There have been no reports of the bear since Sunday, however Martin says he is confident the bear will return. Unfortunately, if the animal continues to ignore aversion techniques, he will most likely be euthanized.

“If we can’t train him early on not to come into town it will ultimately be his demise,” Martin said. “Currently he is only a nuisance bear, but as he gets older and potentially becomes a problem bear, he may have to be put down.”

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife area wildlife manager J Wenum, as the summer months progress and bears enter their “hyperphagia” stage–a period of excessive eating and drinking to fatten for hibernation–it is common for the animals to become extra assertive in their hunt for food. So, needless to say, it is in the best interest of all Crested Butte area residents to take extra precaution in securing their garbage cans, cars and homes.

“We encourage folks to keep clean camps and vehicles and to secure vehicles well; make sure windows are up and cars are locked during nighttime especially,” Wenum said. “In some cases bears can figure out how to open car doors, or if there is a partial gap in the window they can stick a claw in there and break a window to access the vehicle. That’s no good for the bear or the vehicle.”

In the case of bear encounters, whether threatening or non-threatening, Trautman advises to alert the appropriate law enforcement agency.

“911 is the fastest way to dispatch an officer in an emergency; however, contacting the police department to report non-emergencies allows officers to keep track of bear activity and identify areas where bears are frequenting,” she said. “If a bear becomes problematic, such as if it repeatedly returns to the same location, the Department of Parks and Wildlife should be contacted for assistance, as they have the proper equipment to deal with ongoing problems of this sort.”