Colorado wildlife officials euthanized a bear after it attacked and injured a fisherman walking along a mountain trail in Jefferson County on Friday night.
The attack happened around 8 p.m. on the when the man, who is in his 60s, was walking back to the parking lot after fishing near the confluence of the Platte rivers, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said in a news release.
The man was not carrying any fish when the bear, a “subadult” sow, knocked him to the ground and bit his legs. The attack continued for several minutes until the man’s friends were able to scare the bear away.
He was taken to the hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening, CPW spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said. The angler was still hospitalized as of Saturday morning.
State wildlife officers started searching for the bear alongside a team from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s , which also brought a dog team to track the bear’s scent.
Wildlife officials found and euthanized the bear early Saturday morning. The bear did not show signs of nursing and there were no cubs in the area, CPW said. State wildlife veterinarians will perform a necropsy on the animal.
This is the sixth bear attack so far in 2026, which is double the number of bear attacks in 2025, according to the agency.
Wildlife officials have reported nearly double the number of bear sightings and conflicts in Colorado so far this year as the animals roam closer to population areas in search of food during their “hyperphagia” phase, when bears eat up to 20,000 calories per day to prepare for hibernation.
“Historic drought has caused bear’s natural food sources to become scarce,” CPW said in a statement. “As food is harder to find, bears may act bolder to find calories, and trash should be secured and removed to discourage conflict between humans and bears.”
include recreating in groups, not leaving any trash or food scraps out, keeping dogs on leash so they can’t chase after bears, practicing bear-safe camping and carrying bear spray.
Anyone who sees a black bear should move away quietly. If spotted by a bear, people should slowly back away and not run, which could trigger a chase response. If the bear continues approaching, people should wave their arms and yell until it leaves and use bear spray if it continues to approach.
“If a black bear makes contact with you, do NOT play dead; fight back aggressively,” state officials said.
