STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (KDVR) — When you live in bear country, you just never know what you may see. Luckily, one resident was safe inside their home when some young bears tried to break in.
The resident shot the video of the two young bears approaching the home and one opening the glass screen door to try and get in. In order to shoo them off, the resident banged on the window. One took off and the other went back to the door for a few seconds then mosied off.
Another video from the resident shows a bear family in the area in their natural habitat.
As temperatures have started to rise, bears are coming out of hibernation and they’re hungry. So more activity has been reported. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said 173 sightings have been reported so far this year, as of May 12.
Stay safe, protect your area from bears
Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminds those living in areas where bears are present, to make sure they bearproof their homes and surrounding property. Also, those traveling and camping in bear country should be prepared to not attract bears near their location.
How to keep bears away from your home
- Keep garbage in a well-secured location.
- Only put out garbage on the morning of pickup.
- Clean garbage cans regularly to keep them free of food odors: ammonia is effective.
- Use a bear-resistant trash can or dumpster.
- Don’t leave pet food or stock feed outside.
- Bird feeders are a major source of bear/human conflicts. Attract birds naturally with flowers and water baths
- Do not hang bird feeders from April 15 to Nov. 15.
- Do not attract other wildlife by feeding them, such as deer, turkeys or small mammals.
- Don’t allow bears to become comfortable around your house. If you see one, yell at it, throw things at it, make noise to scare it off.
- Secure compost piles. Bears are attracted to the scent of rotting food.
- Clean the grill after each use.
- Clean up thoroughly after picnics in the yard or on the deck.
- If you have fruit trees, don’t allow the fruit to rot on the ground.
- If you keep small livestock, keep animals in a fully covered enclosure. Construct electric fencing if possible.
- Don’t store livestock food outside, keep enclosures clean to minimize odors, and hang rags soaked in ammonia and/or Pine-Sol around the enclosure.
- If you have beehives, install electric fencing where allowed.
- Talk to your neighbors and kids about being bear-aware.
- Keep garage doors closed.
Stay safe: Bearproof cars, traveling and campsites
- Lock your doors when you’re away from home and at night.
- Keep the bottom floor windows of your house closed when you’re not at home.
- Do not keep food in your vehicle; roll up windows and lock the doors of your vehicles.
- When car-camping, secure all food and coolers in a locked vehicle.
- Keep a clean camp, whether you’re in a campground or in the backcountry.
- When camping in the backcountry, hang food 100 feet or more from the campsite; don’t bring any food into your tent.
- Cook food well away from your tent; wash dishes thoroughly.
Protect chickens, bees, livestock
- Keep chickens, bees and livestock in a fully covered enclosure, especially at night.
- Construct electric fencing when possible.
- Don’t store livestock feed outside.
- Keep enclosures clean to minimize animal odors.
- Hang rags soaked in ammonia and/or Pine-Sol around the enclosure as a scent deterrent.
CPW said most human-bear conflicts occur in late summer into fall as bears look for food to stock up on before taking their long winter naps. Over 90% of a bear’s natural diet is grasses, berries, fruits, nuts and plants, which all depend on precipitation to grow. But weather changes like a frost or dry summer could lead to bears becoming more active in their search for fuel.
“In years where there is good moisture and natural food sources are abundant, human-bear conflicts and interactions are down,” CPW said in a release Friday.