Black Bear attack in Colorado

[Newb]

From the Colorado Division of Wildlife as relayed to my website at TroutWorld.com:

WOMAN INJURED BY BEAR IN COLORADO SPRINGS

A large black bear injured an 85-year-old woman in the Skyway subdivision in Colorado Springs on September 19.

The woman had been leaving a bucket of sunflower seeds on a picnic table for birds, squirrels or whatever other wildlife wandered into her back yard. According to the woman, at least four bears were frequent visitors including the bear that bit her.

The woman stated that she had been out of town for five days. When she put the bucket of seeds on the table around noon September 19, the bear confronted her. She tried to make her way back into her house, but the bear bit her before she could get the door closed.

"She was very lucky to escape with only minor injures," said Shaun Deeney, DOW Area Wildlife Manager.

Public safety guidelines require that bears that injure humans must be destroyed.

"This is a clear indication of why wildlife experts say that a fed bear is a dead bear. Feeding bears causes them to become habituated, and lose their natural fear of people. Habituated bears are a much higher risk to injure, or even kill a human," said Deeney.

Bears and humans often live near each other year-round in Colorado with few troubles. However, when bears become accustomed to a human food source, it can change a bear's natural behavior.

A black bear's digestive system requires it to eat large amounts of food to maximize nutritional benefit. Colorado bears have evolved to look for food in different parts of their range during different times of the year. In the spring, bears feed on the tender shoots of new grasses and forbs. As seasons change, bears move to areas where they found natural foods in the past.

Colorado Black bears are naturally wary of people and tend to avoid humans if they can.

Their most critical feeding period is late summer and fall when black bears move to regions where acorns, chokecherries, serviceberry, and pinion pine nuts are plentiful. During this time of year, feeding is ongoing for up to 20 hours per day. A single bear might eat 20-30 pounds of food a day. Nearly all of the food is converted into fat to provide energy during hibernation.

In wild situations, black bears will feed until their stomach is full, and then wander in search of new feeding areas. Bears do not stay at a single berry or acorn site until all the food is gone. They fill up, move on, and perhaps come back. This behavior allows several bears to benefit from a natural food site, and the bears are constantly mobile.

On the other hand, if a human feeds a bear, it becomes accustomed to a continuous source of food year round in one spot and does not follow the same pattern as a "wild" bear. A habituated bear will remain near the food source and make efforts to protect the territory, even from the humans who provide the food.

[Blue Jay]

Yea, a walrus attacked someone the same day, so what?

[Hammock Hanger]

When I lived in Colorado notices went out into the community to Lock trash cans, remove bird seed, etc from backyards. We all lived quite well together without incident.

[Newb]

Yea, a walrus attacked someone the same day, so what?

what do you mean by that? All I did was post an attack account. I figure the more we read about these incidents the more we can understand and avoid them ourselves. I, for one, will never feed sunflower seeds to Smokey.

[Blue Jay]

what do you mean by that? All I did was post an attack account. I figure the more we read about these incidents the more we can understand and avoid them ourselves. I, for one, will never feed sunflower seeds to Smokey.

There are very few people who are not aware it is stupid to feed bears. I sincerely doubt, you, for one, were ever going to feed sunflower seeds to bears prior to your reading the report. You clearly were just trying to spread your fear, not educating people. Your plea of innocence is pathetic.

[Big Dawg]

There are very few people who are not aware it is stupid to feed bears. I sincerely doubt, you, for one, were ever going to feed sunflower seeds to bears prior to your reading the report. You clearly were just trying to spread your fear, not educating people. Your plea of innocence is pathetic.

Here we go again. Newb, let it roll off the back. Most people are aware of these bear issues, as above quote states, but I imagine most knew what you were trying to do, just sharing info YOU thought was important, not "spreading your fear". Post whatever you like, it's a free world.

"Attacked by a walrus"??? where in the heck did that come from. I've never heard of a walrus attacking someone, man I'll have to google that one, but I've sure heard of plenty of bear attacks. I'm glad I've read plenty of posts/reports/etc about bears, because now I know how best to escape injury/death when confronted by one. A friend of mine was approached by an aggressive bear, & because of the tips he had read about, was able to escape w/ little injuries. Granted, bear attacks are rare, but the 1 in many who "is" attacked would surely beg to differ w/,,, ya know who-(tweeet, tweeet). I guess when I finally start hiking in walrus country, I'll look up reports on the best way to avoid being jabbed by a walrus tusk, or poked by the big wiskers. hehehehe

Later Newb

[Big Dawg]

Where is walrus country anyway,,, I'll have to google that & see what trail takes me near these "attacking" walruses. Man, that would be a cool trip. Can ya hear it now,,,, "yea, I was hiking near the sea, & this walrus up & started running after my a$$,, I poked him w/ my poles & he got mad & reared his big set of tusks (don't they have tusks), we wrestled to the sand,, meanwhile my hiking partner got some great pics. I killed it w/ my Ti stake, & we had blubber steaks that night on a cliff overlooking the ocean,,, awwww, what a trip!!

[Tha Wookie]

Here we go again. Newb, let it roll off the back. Most people are aware of these bear issues, as above quote states, but I imagine most knew what you were trying to do, just sharing info YOU thought was important, not "spreading your fear". Post whatever you like, it's a free world.

"Attacked by a walrus"??? where in the heck did that come from. I've never heard of a walrus attacking someone, man I'll have to google that one, but I've sure heard of plenty of bear attacks. I'm glad I've read plenty of posts/reports/etc about bears, because now I know how best to escape injury/death when confronted by one. A friend of mine was approached by an aggressive bear, & because of the tips he had read about, was able to escape w/ little injuries. Granted, bear attacks are rare, but the 1 in many who "is" attacked would surely beg to differ w/,,, ya know who-(tweeet, tweeet). I guess when I finally start hiking in walrus country, I'll look up reports on the best way to avoid being jabbed by a walrus tusk, or poked by the big wiskers. hehehehe

Later Newb

I was confronted by a sea lion last summer... He was a lot more scary than any bear I've seen. i though he was dead when I saw him laying on the beach with deep gashes in his back. I closed in to get a picture.... boy was that stupid.

[Blue Jay]

Where is walrus country anyway,,, I'll have to google that & see what trail takes me near these "attacking" walruses. Man, that would be a cool trip. Can ya hear it now,,,, "yea, I was hiking near the sea, & this walrus up & started running after my a$$,, I poked him w/ my poles & he got mad & reared his big set of tusks (don't they have tusks), we wrestled to the sand,, meanwhile my hiking partner got some great pics. I killed it w/ my Ti stake, & we had blubber steaks that night on a cliff overlooking the ocean,,, awwww, what a trip!!

I was trying to inject humor to balance the almost constant fear mongereing about bears. I'm very happy to see that it has not only worked but spread. Great post.

[Lilred]

I was trying to inject humor to balance the almost constant fear mongereing about bears. I'm very happy to see that it has not only worked but spread. Great post.

I know I got a good giggle from it.

[Big Dawg]

I was trying to inject humor to balance the almost constant fear mongereing about bears. I'm very happy to see that it has not only worked but spread. Great post.

Yea, man!! I took you're lead & ran (& got a little carried away, per my wife), but I had fun. It's all good!!!

[The Solemates]

I was confronted by a sea lion last summer... He was a lot more scary than any bear I've seen. i though he was dead when I saw him laying on the beach with deep gashes in his back. I closed in to get a picture.... boy was that stupid.

Same thing happened to me on the beaches of Northern California a few years back, which is I assumed where you were. Those large creatures obviously dont like you getting too close. Thankfully, on land they are about as quick as a slug.

[bulldog49]

There are very few people who are not aware it is stupid to feed bears. I sincerely doubt, you, for one, were ever going to feed sunflower seeds to bears prior to your reading the report. You clearly were just trying to spread your fear, not educating people. Your plea of innocence is pathetic.

What I find pathetic are board Nazi dickweeds like bluejay who take upon themselves to decide what others should post.

I for one did not take the post as an attempt to spread fear. I always find it interesting to hear reports about human encounters with wildlife, so long as they the aren't sensastionlized, as this post clearly was not.

[Newb]

There are very few people who are not aware it is stupid to feed bears. I sincerely doubt, you, for one, were ever going to feed sunflower seeds to bears prior to your reading the report. You clearly were just trying to spread your fear, not educating people. Your plea of innocence is pathetic.

Lighten up, Francis. I receive dispatches from wildlife agencies to my website. I was not trying to "spread fear". Far from it. I simply posted the message issued by the Colorado wildlife folks. Blame them for spreading fear.

[Blue Jay]

What I find pathetic are board Nazi dickweeds like bluejay who take upon themselves to decide what others should post.

You are correct, I also thought your "American League West" post was pathetic.

[Newb]

Let's end this thread. It's getting mean. I don't like mean. I like happiness and sunshine and cold beer.

[Blue Jay]

Let's end this thread. It's getting mean. I don't like mean. I like happiness and sunshine and cold beer.

It was mean from the start, anti 85 year old women and anti bear. Pick two other groups that are as unlikely to defend themselves. I should have had the walrus attack a herd of babies.

[weary]

As I was heading back to Maine thro0ugh British Columbia last week, one of the newspapers had an interview with a 13-year-old who was attacked by a grizzlie on his dad's ranch.

The kid was quoted as saying his first thought was: "oh crap, I'm going to be killed.""

Knowing 13-year-olds, I susppect he used a stronger word than "crap."

Anyway, the bear rushed at him, whacked him hard enough to break a leg. bit him about the head and rushed off.

It all happened so quickly that neither the vicitim nor a brother who witnessed the attack had time to use their pepper spray.


the brother alerted their dad, the dad rushed to the scene and carried his son to the ranch house.

Weary, from a motel in Manitoba

[Blue Jay]

Ok, I give up, you win, keep the fear flowing.

[Tha Wookie]

I saw a scorpion in the woods the other day while digging out a fire pit. They're everywhere. Also, some caterpillar stung the living hell out of me.