Hundreds more reported bear sightings in Colorado this year due to mild winter, officials say

There have been hundreds more bear sightings this year compared to last year, with a lot of bear activity happening even earlier in the season. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says it's due to the warm and dry winter, impacting bears who are searching for food.

Amy Randall, a Loveland resident, has seen bears around her home three times in less than a week.

"This is the first day that I saw the bear. He pulled the bird feeder off the tree and tried to get into it. When he approached the house, he was just kind of checking stuff out on the front walkway. He was there for five or 10 minutes, then took off," said Randall.

A small bear visited last Wednesday, and later that night, a larger bear came by. A few days later, she had another bear sighting.

"I was definitely in shock at first, because I've never seen a bear in my neighborhood before.">

Luke Perkins, the Statewide Public Information Officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, says there have been 36 reports of bears seen in Loveland in 2026.

"It's not unusual to see that, but the numbers that we're seeing this year across the state are definitely higher than normal," said Perkins.

Perkins says there have been over 1,700 reported bear sightings this year, compared to last year at the same time, there were just under 1,200 reported bear sightings.

"We had a light snowfall during the winter. This impacted natural forage for bears; they were waking up earlier, and then we've had these sustained hotter temperatures and lower moisture, which certainly isn't helping that forage situation for these bears," said Perkins.

Perkins said while they always see an increase in sightings throughout the summer, it's usually later in the year.

"Once we start getting into that later part of summer, or going in the fall, especially during that fall portion, whenever they're going to hyperphagia, where they're just trying to cram up in as many calories as they can, so they can get ready for that winter hibernation," said Perkins.

With the surge in bear sightings, CPW is urging Coloradans to take precautions.

"It's important that people are bear-wise and that they ensure they're not attracting or providing unsafe foods that you would both lure bears in, but also have detrimental health effects for the bears," said Perkins.

Perkins added people need to be bear-wise, which starts by trying to address the behaviors that might attract bears to neighborhoods.

Remove anything from your yard that will attract bears, like bird feeders, trash, or food. Do not leave trash or food behind. Be careful letting your dogs outside, and keep your dogs leashed while walking or hiking. If you do see a bear in your yard or on a trail, remain calm and back away slowly.

"Don't corner the bear; make sure it has an avenue to get away. Bears generally don't want to be around people, and then you know, find a way to haze it. So, hazing, we generally talk about this in terms of making a loud sound, this could be banging pots together, air horns, yelling at the top of your lungs," said Perkins.

You can also use bear spray as needed. If a bear attacks, do not play dead and fight back.

When hiking, stay alert and stay together. Be sure to pay attention to your surroundings. When camping, also do not cook or leave food near your tent. Be sure to store food in bear-resistant containers.

Perkins encourages anyone who sees a bear to report it to CPW.

As Colorado's furry neighbors are becoming more active, Randall is also documenting her wildlife encounters.

"This is basically my collection of all of my bear photos and videos now," said Randall. "Who knows, it might be ever expanding, you know, in the near future."

A bear attack in Apex Park near Golden is the most recent and high-profile example of a surge in bear activity this season. CPW says that the investigation is still ongoing. They say it's the only reported bear attack in 2026. There were three reported bear attacks last year.

Colorado residents can find more information on living with bears online. Those who have questions or want to report bear problems are asked to call their nearest CPW office.