Quote Originally Posted by bearcreek View Post
Not true. Bears have prematurely ended several hikes on the CT that I am aware of. When bears become a problem they are destroyed. Incidents have occurred throughout the trail.

The number of Black Bears living in Colorado is estimated to be about 18,000 bears. http://www.denverpost.com/outdoors/c...nts-challenges

Here are the statistics on bears that have died in recent years by means other than hunting statewide in Colorado.

YEAR 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
NON-HUNT MORTALITY 113 219 121 162 416 189 338 321 403 628 358

During this time span covered by the chart, 126 identified problem bears were killed in The Durango area alone (wildlife district. 15), and 165 were killed by cars.

It is so simple to not be a contributor to the issue. Secure your food by hanging it, using a cannister, or using a Ursack.
That's great info. Thank you for sharing it and it definitely changes my approach. I don't want to teach bears to do things that will get them killed.