Colorado Black Bear Safety Tips

The basics:

Black Bears live all over Colorado - we do not have Grizzly Bears.
Black Bears may be black, blonde, cinnamon, or brown in color.
Males typically weigh 275 lbs and females typically weigh 175 lbs.
Over 90% of a bear’s natural diet consists of grasses, berries, fruits, nuts and plants. The rest is primarily insects and scavenged carcasses.
Black Bears are typically scared of people - their natural instinct is to run away or climb a tree.
Bears are active from mid-March through early November, and then they’ll hibernate.
Their nose is 100x more sensitive than ours, so they can smell food 5 miles away.
Black bears are not naturally aggressive animals.
.Bears need up to 20,000 calories a day to gain enough fat to survive hibernating.
Bears are very smart and have great memories. Once they know an area has food, they’ll come back for more. This is why it’s so important to properly store food (camping, hiking) and garbage.
When bears get used to following their noses to campgrounds, they can damage property, and even break into vehicles and campers.
When they become a problem, due to humans not securing their food and garbage, it can cost the bear its life.

Store your food and garbage properly - store it inside of vehicles and bear bins. Use bear proof containers when available. Never leave trash outside.
Keep a clean camp.
Do not leave anything smelly (even toiletries) in your tent. Do not sleep in clothes that you cooked in.
Always close your car windows and lock your vehicle.
If a bear comes into camp, try to chase it away. Yell, throw small rocks in the direction of the bear, bang pots and pans, honk your car horn, or use an air horn. Give it room to escape.

Always carry bear spray - clip it to the front of your pack. You will not have time to dig it out of a side pocket or from inside your pack.
Keep snacks in bear bins or scent proof bags.
Don’t wear scented toiletries if you can help it.
Bears will usually smell or hear you, and leave the area, before you see them.
Be extra alert, and make noise, when you’re near streams, or if it’s a windy day, since that can cover the sounds you’re making.
Be extra cautious at dusk and dawn.
Do not wear headphones.
Occasionally clap, yell, or bang your trekking poles together.
Keep dogs leashed. Surprising a bear means that your dog could be injured, or come running back towards you, with an irritated bear behind it.
In the late summer and fall, avoid berry patches and oak brush (acorns), since bears are typically foraging up to 20 hours a day.
Keep small children close to you, and in between adults. Do not let them run ahead of you or fall behind you.

Keep an eye out for tracks or scat (poop) along the trail, especially if it's fresh.
Black bears will typically avoid human contact, so make sure to clap, sing, talk, or bang your trekking poles together.
Bear bells can actually cause bears to be curious and may actually attract them.
Hike in groups when possible.
Always carry bear spray.

DO NOT RUN or climb a tree.
Stand your ground, make yourself look larger (wave your arms, put a jacket above your head), and avoid direct eye contact.
Yell at the bear and make loud noises, like banging your trekking poles together, or pots and pans, if you’re at camp. Throw small rocks in its direction, if it doesn’t leave.
Try to back away slowly (do not turn your back on it) and get out your bear spray.
If needed, step off of the trail to give it more space.
If a bear attacks, fight back. Do not play dead. Punch it and hit it with anything you may have. Report the encounter to CPW and seek first aid, if necessary.