In the Jeffco foothills, bears follow the food you leave out

Black bears live in and move through Jefferson County’s foothills. Seeing one is part of living here, and most of the time a bear that finds nothing to eat moves on. The trouble starts when a bear learns that houses mean an easy meal, and almost always that meal is something a person left out.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is direct about this. Most conflicts trace back to human food, garbage, pet food, and bird seed, and trash is a major source. A bear that gets a food reward comes back, brings its appetite to the neighbors, and can end up having to be put down. Keeping food away from bears is how you keep them wild.

The steps are simple. Use a bear-resistant trash container if you can, and put trash out the morning of pickup, not the night before. Take bird feeders down during the warm months when bears are active, and feed birds with a bath or flowers instead. Do not leave pet food or stock feed outside. Lock the door between a garage or shed and the house, since bears can open a closed door.

These habits matter even more in the wildland edge above Morrison, Evergreen, and Golden, where homes back right up to bear country.

For the full Bear Aware guidance, including what to do if a bear comes around, see Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Living with Bears pages at cpw.state.co.us.