Man who killed bear in Fort Collins faces charges

The man who killed a bear in his backyard last week faces misdemeanor charges and potentially thousands of dollars in fines.

The man, whose name has not yet been released, shot a young female black bear Thursday night in his Fossil Creek Meadows neighborhood home in south-central Fort Collins after it reportedly got into a tussle with his dog. He shot it with a .300 Winchester Magnum, a rifle popular with hunters going after bear, elk and moose.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife investigated the incident and found he violated three state laws:

•Unlawful taking of a black bear, with a minimum penalty of six months in prison and/or a $500 fine and a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and/or $5,000 fine.

•Unlawful possession of wildlife, with a $1,000 fine.

•Hunting in a careless manner, with a fine of $100 to $1,000 and/or up to a year in prison.

Jennifer Churchill, CPW spokeswoman, said it’s unlikely the man will face prison time. Fort Collins police said he won’t face charges for violating the city’s ban on discharging a weapon.

If the man is found guilty of unlawful taking of a black bear, he’ll be barred from applying for a wildlife license for five years. The careless hunting charge would add 20 points to his license suspension record, and the unlawful possession of wildlife charge would add 15 points.

It’s unclear if he already had points on his record, but anyone who racks up 20 or more points in a five-year period may have their license privileges suspended for up to five years.

Northeast Colorado has seen an uptick in bear-human encounters this summer, Churchill said. More bears have been getting into area backyards, vehicles and livestock. Wildlife officers have relocated five bears that presented a safety hazard or nuisance and put down seven bears this year. Six bears have been hit by vehicles, most recently a 10-year-old female black bear in south Fort Collins early Sunday.

Churchill attributes the increased encounters to “localized food failure” in the bears’ natural habitat in the mountains and the western portion of the state. Bears rely on berry bushes and fruit trees for much of their sustenance, and those plants haven’t been yielding much fruit this summer. The result is bears have been more likely to venture into urban areas in search of untapped entrees.

It’s hard to say if there are actually more bears in the region than there used to be. CPW earlier this year reported the state’s recorded black bear population had increased to 19,000 from 12,000 at the start of the century.

But Churchill said the higher number might be because the state has gotten better at tracking bears using DNA analysis, habitat modeling and other modern methods.

Residents should “bear-proof” their homes by keeping all food sources — livestock, garbage, even dog food — indoors or well-secured. The wildlife division recommends removing any bird feeders from yards and removing fruit from trees as soon as it’s ripe. Don’t let fruit rot on the ground, either.

And in case you do run into a bear, see here for safety tips.

Reporter Jacy Marmaduke covers environment and breaking news for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter at @jacymarmaduke.