Two things you can count on in Fort Collins once fall arrives: Pumpkin-spiced beers and lattes get served all over, and bears move into the city to gorge on food from fruit trees and trash dumpsters before winter.
Nearly half of the more than 5,000 bear incidents reported in 2024 statewide occurred in August, September and October, according to a Colorado Parks and Wildlife news release.
Fort Collins isn’t the bear activity hot spot that other cities and towns are across the state. But this time of year, videos and photos from security cameras and posted on social media show bears in backyards, on front porches, in trash cans and crossing streets.
Bear sightings are more common on the west and north sides of Fort Collins because those areas are closer to the foothills and the Poudre River, but bears have been sighted all over the city.
A recent Fort Collins NextDoor post showed a black bear napping in a person’s backyard in the southeast part of the city, and bears have shown up on the campus of Colorado State University in years past.
Through Sept. 3, there have been 108 bear reports in Larimer County, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Here is how Colorado Parks and Wildlife handles bear sightings
If you see a bear hanging around your neighborhood or property, call your local Colorado Parks and Wildlife office to report it.
The Fort Collins area office phone number is 970-472-4300 during regular business hours. After business hours, call Colorado State Patrol at *277, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said.
Bears that pose an immediate threat to property but do not threaten public safety can result in the agency taking no action but working with the property owner about what to do and what not to do.
If the bear becomes a problem, the agency may capture, tag and move the bear to the foothills or mountains.
The agency has a “two strikes” policy in which bears involved in two nuisance incidents will be killed by agency or federal officials. A bear may be killed after or during one nuisance incident if the agency determines the bear’s behavior will not be altered by moving it.
“We use those reports to track wildlife movement, but it doesn’t nessarily mean it’s a strike against it,” Van Hoose said.
Here’s what you can do to keep human-bear conflicts to a minimum in urban areas
Food and food odors attract bears, especially in fall when they are consuming up to 20,000 calories a day before moving to winter dens.
More than half of human-bear conflicts involved trash in 2024, according to the agency. Here’s how to avoid conflicts:
Make the bear uncomfortable by hazing it with loud music, banging pots and pans, using flashing lights and honking your vehicle horn.
Regularly pick up apples and other fruit in your yard.
Keep garbage in a safe and secure place and only place outside on trash pickup day. Clean your trash can with bleach once a week to get rid of residual smells.
Remove bird feeders this time of year when bears are more active. Bears love birdseed and grains because they contain lots of calories.
Don’t leave pet food outdoors. Feed pets indoors when possible. If you feed pets outside, feed in single portions and remove food and bowls after feeding.
Clean grills after each use and make sure that all grease, fat and food are removed. Store clean grills and smokers in a secure area that keeps bears out.
Secure bee hives and chickens with electric fencing.
If you see a bear or signs of bear activity, make your neighbors aware so they can prevent bear conflicts by removing food sources.
Lock and remove all food from your vehicles.
Miles Blumhardt is a reporter for the Coloradoan.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Why Colorado cities see more bears in fall than any other season