09/08/2026
100%
A woman in Colorado was attacked inside her own home by a black bear, and the state is now on pace to shatter its record for bear conflicts. Remember, Colorado voters eliminated spring bear hunting and banned the use of hounds and bait through a ballot measure in 1992. Since then, the state’s estimated bear population has roughly doubled, and today wildlife officials are actually trying to reduce bear numbers. This is exactly what happens when wildlife management becomes a popularity contest instead of being driven by management needs.
Colorado needs to seriously consider bringing back the spring bear hunt and giving hunters more tools to manage bears. The same state that voted away proven bear-hunting management is now getting a firsthand lesson in what happens when predator management is decided at the ballot box. When bears start breaking into homes, attacking people, killing pets and pushing farther into populated areas, opinions can change pretty quickly. I’d like to know how the people who voted to take these management tools away feel about this woman being attacked today. Remember, we eat bears, they are delicious.
— Stephen Ziegler
Outdoor writer | Member, Hunter Nation
