New Mexico Bears

“Seems the bears have decided they want to live where we are. Low acorn crop in the Sandias and big fruit crop in Albuquerque leads Yogi and Boo Boo to the neighborhoods in the foothills. 14 reports since June, 7 so far in August.

Cougar and bear sitings in the foothills, bear may have been involved in a woman's death today (my bet is on bear feeding on dead body, not killing).”

“There's bears in NM?”

“There are bears in NM, quite a few. They come down into Albuquerque during drought or famine.”

“Dude bears are everywhere. There are even bears in Florida.”

“I just couldn't picture seeing a bear out in that kind of enviroment. When I think of bear habitat, I think of mostly wooded areas.
I knew they were in Florida. Do bears in Florida hibernate?”

“The New Mexico bears are all up in the mountains, where it is pine, spruce, aspen and oak forests, alpine meadows and even alpine tundra. Smokey the Bear was a New Mexico bear, Lincoln National Forest.”

“I'm not really sure if they actually hibernate like the bears in colder climates do but I do know that they den down for awhile in Dec. Jan. and Feb.”

“Now that you mention it, I do remember some of the Boy Scouts at this site talking about seeing them at Philmont in NM.

Yeah HPM,
I wondered about that. Since the climate isn't really that cold on a regular basis.”

“Philmont has a Bear problem actually. Wait let me correct that, Philmont has a stupid scout problem. One of my scouts went to Philmont this year and while he was there was two different attacks. Both were the direct result of blatant stupidity on the part of the persons attacked.

In Florida we have two sesons, hot and February.”

“The Sangre de Christo mountains in Northern New Mexico (where Philmont Scout Ranch is) has one of the highest density bear populations in the country. When we were there in 1993 we were told that there was no hunting of bears and there was a study going on to study the bear population.

Philmont is very strict about avoiding bear problems. Considering they have15,000 visitors each summer for a 12 day trek, they really have very few incidents. By the way, not all the visitors are Scouts. Other organized youth groups attend as well (e.g., 4H).

Here in California we are starting to see mandatory use of bear canisters in some places in the Sierras. IMHO it will get worse before it gets better.”

“I own a bear canister and they're not even required around here in the East.”

“Story Filed: Tuesday, August 21, 2001 12:04 AM EDT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- A black bear smashed through a kitchen window and killed the 93-year-old woman living in the home, authorities said Monday.

Adelia Maestas Trujillo died Saturday of ``multiple bite injuries'' in her home in Cleveland, in northeastern New Mexico, medical investigators said.

The 250-pound adult male bear, about 4 years old, was tracked down and killed, state Game and Fish Department officials said.

The death comes during a summer of increased encounters between humans and bears in New Mexico and other Western states. Officials have said dry weather has limited the growth of food, forcing bears into populated areas for food.

Copyright © 2001 Associated Press Information Services, all rights reserved.”

“93-Year-Old Dies After Bear Attack


Tuesday, Aug 21 12:04 AM EDT


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A black bear smashed through a kitchen window and killed the 93-year-old woman living in the home, authorities said Monday.

Adelia Maestas Trujillo died Saturday of "multiple bite injuries" in her home in Cleveland, in northeastern New Mexico, medical investigators said.

The 250-pound adult male bear, about 4 years old, was tracked down and killed, state Game and Fish Department officials said.

The death comes during a summer of increased encounters between humans and bears in New Mexico and other Western states. Officials have said dry weather has limited the growth of food, forcing bears into populated areas for food.”

“Goddam Violin, why didn't you tell me you'd already posted the same story. lol”

“Two more bears in Albuquerque and surroundings, today.”

“Here's the full story from the Rocky Mountain News. Gives me pause as I contemplate a possible trip to Colorado in September. Especially since I plan(ned) to solo.

BEAR KILLS WOMAN IN HER HOME

August 21, 2001

Wildlife officials stunned by New Mexico attack

By Joe Garner, News Staff Writer

A 93-year-old New Mexico woman was mauled to death by a black bear that broke into her home over the weekend, stunned wildlife officials confirmed Monday.

Adelia Maestas Trujillo of Cleveland, in north-central New Mexico, was killed "by multiple bite injuries," said Scott Wilson, associate director of the Office of Medical Investigator.

Trujillo, a great-grandmother who lived alone, was found Saturday morning on her kitchen floor when her son, Raymond Trujillo, came from his nearby home to check on her, authorities said.

"From our preliminary investigation, she was asleep during the night, when she heard a disturbance and went to investigate," Wilson said. "At that point, the bear pushed out the screen door and came at her through the window in the door. There was little evidence of a struggle."

Wildlife officials said the attack was unusual but shows black bears in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado are desperate for food. Spring frosts and summer drought have killed off chokecherries, service berries and acorns, which make up the animals' summer and fall diet.

"I've been here 18 years, and I've never heard of someone being killed in their home by a bear before now," said Don MacCarter, spokesman for the New Mexico Game and Fish Department. "But just like in Colorado, we're seeing bears in the towns and on the highways."

In Colorado, bears have been seen near malls and schools. As many as 16 sightings were reported in one night this month in Trinidad, said Todd Malmsbury, spokesman for the Division of Wildlife.

Bear attacks also have been reported at campgrounds this summer, Malmsbury said, but Colorado's last bear fatality was in 1993. That occurred near Cotopaxi, when a bear charged a man who had shot at the animal.

"We haven't had a person killed in their home by a bear in the last 100 years," he said.

Much of Colorado, including the northern Front Range and most of the Western Slope, provides good bear habitat as fall approaches, Malmsbury said.

However, on the southern Front Range, including some areas west and southwest of Denver, bears may be marauding for the next six weeks.

"In those areas, we will continue to have major problems with people-bear encounters until early October, when the bears begin to prepare for hibernation," Malmsbury said.

In New Mexico, wildlife officials had been planning a meeting Thursday to deal with bear-people confrontations even before Trujillo's death.

"Her death shows you how desperate the bears have become," MacCarter said.

Mora County Sheriff John Sanchez said Trujillo "was an elderly woman who weighed in the vicinity of 100 pounds (and) who didn't have a chance against a 275-pound bear."

Trackers with dogs found a bear they believe was the attacking animal and killed it Saturday afternoon. The bear was less than a half-mile from Trujillo's rural home on an acre in a community of 500 to 800 residents.

The animal's carcass is being tested, Sanchez said.

"You hear lots of different stories that she was cooking, but she wasn't," the sheriff said. "We're still investigating, but the bear might have been hurt and she spooked him."”

“According to the Albuquerque Journal, the Medical Examiner determined that the bear wounds were the cause of death.

sh, come to ABQ, and I'll take you to bear country. ;-)

My concern is that these bears are becoming garbage bears. That's not good for backpackers or bears.”

“If a bear came crashing thru my front door my cause of death would be heart attack!”

“Up in Taos, another bear broke into a guys home early in the morning. He fired five shots to drive it off. Fish and Game tracked it down, he hit it with two shots. The Fish and Game tracker killed the bear. Between the time it broke into the mans house it also charged a mountain biker. The bear injured four of the mans seven dogs. Ten year old bear, 300 lbs.”

“Now they are talking about opening the bear hunting season early, too many bears.

What do you think? Should I go on my solo overnight with all them bears?”

“just so i know what NOT to do, what kind of human stupidity leads to a bear attack? besides the obvious provoking the animal.”

“Apollonia, smelling like food, messing with cubs or being unfortunate to encounter a bear that is habituated to being fed by humans or their garbage. (applies to black bears).

Black bears mostly encounter humans when they view humans as a source of food.

Grizzlies are another matter. They bluff charge or charge for real for territorial reasons, but might also want you for food. What you do depends on the situation.

Black bears-always fight back, like cougars.

Grizzlies-if they attack as if you are prey, fight back. If you startle one, and are charged, that's when you back off, quietly, submissively, don't turn your back and run. If it knocks you down, go into fetal position and protect vital body parts.

prevention is key. Denali doesn't have bear problems because of the strict rules about food and human bear encounters.

New Mexico is having a problem because of poor food conditions for the bears and the human-wilderness interface and bears accustomed to finding food around people.

Get "Bear Attacks : Their Causes and Avoidance
by Stephen Herrero" great book. Don't read it in your tent at night.”

“When I was young I would be
out on the hike, damn the bears,
full speed ahead. I hope that
I am smarter now.

You gave good responsible
advice to Apollonia. Think
about your advice. The bear
is the totally unknown in the
equation. Each encounter is different.

Why risk your health and
ability to do what you so like
to do during this time when
the bears are so highly
stressed?

Make another hike in a bear
free area. Do the solo hike a
year when the bears have plenty of food.”

“I'm sorry Pathman.
Gramps didn't have his
glasses on. My
well intended post
was a few years too late.”

“Stupid thread title anyway. It's the California Bears and the New Mexico Lobos!”