Officials search for the bear that attacked the New Castle man

By Judy J. Beasley Last updated Nov 21, 2022

NEW CASTLE, Colo. (KKCO) – Colorado Parks and Wildlife is continuing a search that began Saturday night after a man was attacked at his New Castle home.

At around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday October 3, 2022, a New Castle man said he heard a noise in his garden, so he went outside to investigate. Outside, the man startled a bear, which quickly knocked him to the ground. The victim covered his face with one hand and grabbed his gun with the other, where he fired three shots that startled the bear and scared it away.

The victim was taken to hospital by a family member with minor injuries to the hand, arm and chest.

At approximately 1 a.m. Sunday, October 2, Colorado Parks and Wildlife was notified by a local hospital that a patient had come in for treatment for injuries from a bear attack. Wildlife officers arrived shortly after 2 a.m. and began attempting to locate the bear. The victim explained that he did not know if any of his shots had actually hit or injured the bear.

Heavy rains made tracking and bloodstains difficult for wildlife officials to identify. The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office assisted CPW wildlife officers by using a drone with infrared sensors to help search for the bear.

Since Sunday evening, the search for the bear has been unsuccessful. CPW is continuing to search and asks the community to contact the Colorado State Patrol if they see an injured or dead bear.

“It’s an unfortunate reminder that we need to be vigilant and ‘pay attention’ at all times,” said area wildlife officer Kirk Oldham. “We continue to see a lot of bear activity overnight as bears prepare for hibernation. Easy access to food sources, such as trash and fruit from fallen trees, will attract bears. Simple steps like picking up fruit and removing all attractants around your home are important in preventing incidents like this.

The victim explained that he had seen a bear in his yard the two nights before the attack.

“It’s important that bears don’t get comfortable around your house,” Oldham said. “If you see one, yell at it, throw things at it, and make noise to scare it away.”