Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating a bear attack near the confluence of the Platte rivers in Jefferson County that left a man hospitalized with leg injuries Friday evening.

Around 8:00 p.m., a man in his 60s was walking toward the North Fork trail parking lot after fishing, not carrying any fish, when multiple witnesses reported a subadult sow knocked him to the ground and bit his legs. The attack continued for several minutes until the victim's friends scared the bear away. Additional bystanders stopped to assist. The man was taken to a local hospital.

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CPW officers responded to locate the bear. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Plant Health Inspection Service also responded with a dog team to track the bear by scent. The bear was located and euthanized early Saturday morning in accordance with CPW policy. The 50-60 pound subadult female showed no signs of nursing and no cubs were found in the area. CPW wildlife veterinarians will perform a necropsy. This is the sixth reported bear attack of 2026.

Bears are entering hyperphagia, a period in which they consume up to 20,000 calories per day. Historic drought has reduced natural food sources, causing bears to act bolder in search of calories. Residents are urged to secure and remove trash to reduce human-bear conflict. More information on bear activity is available at cpw.state.co.us/news/08132026/drought-drives-record-bear-activity-cpw-urges-coloradans-take-actions-new-bill.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminds Coloradans to be BearWise while recreating outdoors. Full guidance is available at cpw.state.co.us/living-bears. Key advisories include:

Stay alert and stay together. Pay attention to surroundings and walk, hike, jog, or cycle with others when possible. Keep children within sight. Leave earbuds at home and make noise periodically so bears can avoid you.

Leave no trash or food scraps. Double bag food when hiking and pack out all food and trash. Do not burn food scraps or trash. Leaving scraps or apple cores teaches bears to associate trails and campsites with food.

Keep dogs leashed at all times or leave them at home. Do not allow dogs to chase or bark at bears.

Camp safely. Set up camp away from dense cover and natural food sources. Cook as far from your tent as possible. Do not store food, trash, clothes worn while cooking, or toiletries in your tent. Store items in approved bear-resistant containers, out of sight in a locked vehicle, or suspended at least 10 feet above the ground and 10 feet from any part of the tree. Local regulations vary.

If you see a black bear before it notices you, do not approach. Stand still, then quietly move away. If a bear sees you, back away slowly — never run, as running may trigger a chase response. If a bear approaches, hold your ground, wave your arms, and yell "Hey Bear" until it leaves. If it keeps approaching, use bear spray. If a black bear makes contact, do NOT play dead; fight back aggressively.

Carry bear spray and know how to use it. Bear spray is the easiest and most effective way to deter a threatening bear. Do not spray your tent, campsite, or belongings.