By Shannon Lukens for Steamboat Radio News. File photo of a bear.

 

A bear has been shot and killed after getting into a home in Steamboat Springs today. Statewide Public Information Officer Joey Livingston with Colorado Parks and Wildlife says a bear came into the home and the homeowner tried to get it out, but the bear charged the homeowner so the homeowner shot it.

Livingston says the bear left and was still alive.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers were called. They found it and killed it.

Livingston says the homeowner acted in self-defense. He will not give any details on the part of Steamboat Springs where this happened. 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife says 13 bears have been killed in Routt County. That number was released Sept. 3. Today makes 14.

• Sept. 3, 2026 —Thirteen bears in Routt County have been euthanized by CPW

“Just with the drought conditions and the lack of natural food out there, it’s been a record year when it comes to bear incidents and bear reports. And so it’s very important, especially this year, for people to make sure that they’re keeping food sources secured and away from bears. That includes keeping your doors locked, your windows locked, your vehicle locked, keeping all the food sources securely put away, secure, locked, so that bears aren’t getting access to any of these food sources. Breaking into garages, houses, sheds, feed bins, things like that. So very important people are keeping those food sources all secured and keeping everything locked away,” said Livingston.

 

We asked Livingston this morning for an updated number on how many bears have been killed to date and here was his response, “CPW will be providing updated numbers on bear relocations and euthanizations at the end of the year. We supplied numbers last month that help tell the story of the challenging year for bears, people and CPW staff. These numbers take a lot of staff time to compile and verify so we do not have accurate numbers all of the time.”

Past Steamboat Radio News Coverage on Bears

• Sept. 28, 2026 — CPW has killed another bear in Steamboat Springs after the homeowner shot it first
• Sept. 18, 2026 — Facebook Post — Workers trim the crabapple tree at Starbucks, damaged by bears
• Sept. 18, 2026 — Facebook Post — Bears get into the trash again at Mountain Village Apartments
• Sept. 17, 2026 — Facebook Video — Working is being done to clean out the dumpster at Mountain Village Apartments
• Sept. 15, 2026 — SSPD gets charged by bears twice today at Mountain Village Apartments where they are now issuing citations for the unsecured dumpster
• Sept. 15, 2026 — Oak Creek residents to get Bear Resistant Trash Containers
• Sept. 9, 2026 — SSPD to start issuing citations to Mountain Village Apartments, because of the bears in the trash there
• Sept. 4, 2026 — Bear swipes man in Steamboat Springs
• Sept. 3, 2026 —Thirteen bears in Routt County have been euthanized by CPW
• Sept. 2, 2026 — A bear pair is breaking into apartments near Whistler Road
• Aug. 29, 2026 — Guest Column — Here’s how YOU can help with the starving bears
• Aug. 25, 2026 — A bear that got into Casey’s Pond in July was euthanized
• Aug. 24, 2026 — Routt County Dispatch responds to 87 bear calls in one week
• Aug. 21, 2026 — Bear and cubs in landscaper’s truck
• Aug. 19, 2026 — A bear has attacked a woman in Steamboat Springs
• July 31, 2026 — Human-Bear Conflicts are up 214% from last year in Routt County
• July 3, 2026 — Be aware of Bear Activity in Steamboat Springs
• May 27, 2026 — New Bill strengthens penalties for those found to knowingly feed bears
• March 1, 2025 — CPW offers $1M in grants to help reduce conflicts with bears
• Aug. 27, 2025 — A $73K statewide grant is awarded to YVHA for bearproofing
• June 23, 2025 — CPW is looking for a bear that has been getting into homes in Steamboat Springs
• March 19, 2025 — CPW is offering grants to help reduce conflicts with bears
• Nov. 4, 2024 — Bear conflicts are up in Moffat County and statewide but down in Routt County
• May 22, 2024 —  (Story updated) CPW is trying to trap a bear that swiped at a person in Steamboat Springs Tuesday
• May 13, 2024  — Close the Lid on your Bear-Resistant Trash Cans 
• Feb. 26, 2024 —  Bear conflicts in NW Colorado go down in 2023
• Oct. 16, 2023 —  Sick bear in Steamboat Springs euthanized by CPW
• Aug. 22, 2023 — Steamboat Springs awarded grant for Human-Bear Conflict Reduction
• Aug. 1, 2023 — Bears will soon start looking for dens
• June 20, 2023 — Bear in Blue Sage area has been caught
• June 18, 2023 — Wildlife officers plan to euthanized bear in window
• June 1, 2023 — Don’t use a gun to haze bears away
• March 13, 2023 — CPW offers $1M in grants to help reduce conflicts with bears
• Feb. 15, 2023 — Bear conflicts go up for 2022 in Northwest Colorado
• Aug. 15, 2022 — A Steamboat man shot and killed a bear that was in his home early Saturday morning
• July 12, 2022 — Steamboat bears are busy this summer
• Aug. 28, 2022 — Five goats killed by a bear in Oak Creek Canyon
• April 14, 2022 — Be Bear Aware — CPW asks that you do your part to reduce conflicts
• March 24, 2022 — “Be Bear Aware” is the focus for Leadership Steamboat this year
• Feb. 28, 2022 — Northwest Colorado has the most bear sightings and conflicts in Colorado for 2021
• Oct. 26, 2021 —  Warning issued to man injured in bear attack in South Routt County back in late May
• Sept. 16, 2021 —  CPW traps second bear in Steamboat neighborhood
• Sept. 7, 2021 — A Black Bear is shot in a home in Steamboat overnight
• Aug. 12, 2021 — Black Bears entering Hyperphagia stage
• July 26, 2021 — Bear euthanized in Hahns Peak area
• June 5, 2021 —  Update on Bear Attack in Whitewood Subdivision
• May 31, 2021 — Routt County Man Injured in Bear Attack