Living with Wildlife                                                                     
 

BLACK BEARS

If you live in the foothills and mountains of Colorado, you share territory with black bears. Sharing the same space with black bears is not usually a problem provided you take extra care not to attract black bears close to home by leaving food or garbage out to attract them. Store food, including pet food and bird seed in airtight containers in a garage or secure building. Do not hang hummingbird or regular bird feeders near your house during the months black bears are active. Feed your pets inside, if possible, as the scent of the food remaining in empty bowls can still attract bears. A black bear's sense of smell is about twenty times better than a dog's. Use bear proof containers for your trash and don't put them out until close to the time of pickup. Garbage must be out of sight and smell to bears. Remove trash from your car that has food odors on it and do not leave snacks in your car. Bears have been known to break into cars, sheds and garages attracted by the smell lingering on an old food wrapper. Keep your barbecue grills clean of all smells of grease and barbecue sauce. The smell of fresh barbecue is an invitation to dinner to a bear. Picnic leftovers, such as watermelon rind and apple cores are dessert. Bears are smart, adaptable animals. They learn quickly and always remember where they found food easily. It is easier to prevent them from coming in the first place than to try and break them of the habit once established. Black bears learn to bluff charge, to harass and push until they get what they want. They are successful foragers and are not easily deterred. Barking dogs will discourage them, but should never be let loose with a bear. Black bears have been known to kill chained dogs. All bears should be considered potentially dangerous and treated with great respect. Some bears can be frightened away with lights and loud noises, but don't assume this will work with all black bears. Some have become so accustomed to being around homes that nothing frightens them and they can become very aggressive. Taking along a 15-ounce canister of 10% Capsicum Pepper spray is recommended by Wildlife managers when entering bear country. Most bears will avoid human contact if possible unless they have come to equate humans with food. Most bears in Colorado resume their activites in March after their winter hibernation and are active until they den in mid-October when natural food sources are depleted. In August and September, black bears are foraging up to 22 hours of the day, consuming up to 20,000 calories a day. They travel between 15 to 35 miles each day to find food. When natural food supplies are plentiful, there are fewer human-bear encounters. For further information on camping, hiking and living in black bear areas, please check out the links below. DEER

Deer are our neighbors in the foothills and mountains of Colorado. They are swift, gentle and elegant. Watching them brings a smile to both young and old. People who live where they feed are tempted to encourage them to stay longer. However, in Colorado, it is illegal to place or distribute feed, salt blocks or other attractants for big-game animals. In 1992, a Colorado law was passed making it illegal to feed big game animals. One reason for this law being enacted is that deer are the primary prey of mountain lions. By concentrating the deer to a location by feeding, mountain lions are drawn also and it may become necessary to kill the lions in order to protect public safety. When feeding normally, deer and other big game tend to browse or graze spreading out over a larger area. When they are artificially fed, they collect into a small area where they are more likely to be chased by dogs and hit by cars. Artificial feed, such as hay does not meet a deer's nutritional needs. A deer's digestive system is complex and does not digest bread and certain types of hay.  The Division of Wildlife biologists also warn against using commercial feeds available at many stores. Some of these products indicate they will attract wildlife species including deer. If people place feed out and deer consume it, the person setting out the feed may be breaking the law. Studies have shown a correlation between artificial feeding and increased stress and disease. When too many animals are concentrated in an area competing for the same food sources, they become stressed. Increased contact and stressed conditions lead to disease among the population and an increase in deer deaths. Additionally, some people are under the impression that if they feed the deer it will prevent the deer eating their ornamental plants. The results are generally the opposite. Often, attracting deer leads to increased plant and property damage for both deer feeders and their neighbors. Barriers, repellents and landscaping with native plants is a more effective alternative to prevent deer damage. For additional information on deer, please check out our links. Special thanks to: free-stock-photos.com for the use of their deer photo.

                                         
 

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