Black bears in Colorado are killed in any variety of ways in addition to hunting and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) keeps annual statistics on all manners of black bear mortality, including bears killed during hunting seasons and bears killed in what’s termed non-hunter mortality, (bears killed outside of hunting), both regionally and statewide.
Non-hunter mortality includes bears:
- killed in collisions with vehicles, or other (electrocution, for example)
- destroyed as nuisance animals by CPW officers and USDA Wildlife Services
- shot by landowners
BY THE NUMBERS
STATEWIDE
Statewide, a record 673 bears were killed in non-hunter mortality in 2017, with 484 being killed for nuisance behavior at the hands of wildlife officers or shot by landowners.
- The average statewide non-hunter mortality the past three years (2015-2017) was 467 bears a year.
- The previous five year average (2010-2014) was 465 bears a year.
YEAR | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NON-HUNT MORTALITY | 219 | 121 | 162 | 416 | 189 | 338 | 321 | 403 | 628 | 358 | 616 | 474 | 254 | 673 |
AREA 15
In our area, Area 15 of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 103 bears were killed in non-hunter mortality in 2017, the most since 2002 when 87 bears were killed.
- The past three-year average (2015-2017) for Area 15 non-hunter mortality was 64 bears a year.
- The previous five-year average (2010-2014) was 43 bears a year.
- The past three-year average for nuisance bear kills was 31 bears a year.
- The previous five-year average for nuisance bear kills was 20 bears a year.
YEAR | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ROADKILL AND OTHER | 11 | 4 | 4 | 29 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 16 | 48 | 26 | 19 | 36 | 17 | 44 |
NUISANCE AND CONTROL KILLS | 9 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 20 | 34 | 13 | 9 | 23 | 12 | 59 |
TOTAL NON-HUNT MORTALITY | 20 | 8 | 5 | 46 | 11 | 9 | 28 | 36 | 82 | 39 | 28 | 59 | 29 | 103 |
Dead bear in trap photo courtesy: Linda Masterson