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Living with Wildlife
A fact-based guide to sharing the Estes Valley with wild animals through safe viewing, attractant control, pet awareness, seasonal knowledge, responsible driving, and official wildlife guidance.
Wildlife does not stop at park boundaries.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife notes that people can encounter wildlife in parks, cities, open spaces, river bottoms, neighborhoods, and their own backyards. Rocky Mountain National Park is home to 66 mammal species, 280 bird species, 7 native fish species, and 142 butterfly species.
Animals move according to habitat, food, water, weather, breeding seasons, young animals, predators, and human activity. A calm animal can become defensive if approached, crowded, fed, followed, called, cornered, or separated from an escape route.
The best encounter is one that does not change the animal's behavior.
Use distance, patience, binoculars, or a long lens instead of trying to get an animal's attention.
- Core Rule
- If an animal changes direction, posture, feeding, resting, or movement because of you, increase your distance.
- National Park Rule
- Harassing or feeding wildlife is illegal in national parks.
- Photography
- Rocky Mountain National Park states that calling, clicking, whistling, or making noises to attract wildlife is illegal.
- Pets
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife recommends keeping pets controlled, preferably leashed, kenneled, or indoors.
- Trash
- Larimer County's Wildlife Protection Ordinance requires wildlife-friendly trash practices in the Estes Valley Planning Area.
- Sightings
- Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed and behavior can change without warning.
Homes and neighborhoods overlap habitat and travel routes.
Some animals use nearby open space, parks, undeveloped parcels, river bottoms, water sources, and urban edges.
Natural and human-related sources
Plants, insects, prey, garbage, pet food, bird seed, compost, and unsecured food can attract wildlife.
Rivers, ponds, irrigation, and runoff
Animals may use natural and developed water sources depending on season and availability.
Trees, shrubs, decks, and outbuildings
Vegetation and structures can provide shade, shelter, travel cover, or hiding places.
Established travel patterns
Roads, fences, buildings, and landscaping can intersect natural routes between feeding, resting, and water areas.
Behavior changes through the year
Breeding, calving, migration, winter energy conservation, and food availability affect where animals appear.
Repeated food rewards increase conflict
Animals that learn to associate people or homes with food can lose natural wariness and create dangerous situations.
Distance protects both people and wildlife.
Observe quietly and avoid disrupting feeding, resting, travel, breeding, or care of young.
Bring the image closer, not your body
Use binoculars or a telephoto lens instead of approaching.
Never attract wildlife for a photo
In Rocky Mountain National Park, noises used to attract wildlife are illegal.
Do not surround or corner an animal
Back away and allow wildlife to move without passing through a crowd.
Seasonal restrictions protect animals
Closures may protect breeding, nesting, wintering, or travel areas. Check current park information.
Do not create a traffic hazard
Stop only where legal, remain alert, and never block travel lanes or wildlife movement.
Warning signs differ by species
Raised hair, pinned ears, staring, bluff charges, stomping, vocalizing, or abrupt posture changes mean you should increase distance.
Reduce attractants before wildlife arrives.
Most prevention is routine property management, not emergency response.
Follow Estes Valley requirements
Use wildlife-resistant practices and follow current pickup-time and storage rules.
Remove easy rewards
Store pet food, bird seed, grills, livestock feed, compost, and outdoor food securely.
Keep animals controlled
Supervise pets, use leashes where required, and avoid leaving pets outside unattended.
Close access points
Check crawlspaces, vents, decks, sheds, garages, chimneys, and gaps before wildlife uses them.
Understand what plants attract
Fruit, seed, dense cover, and water features can influence animal activity around a home.
Intentional feeding changes behavior
Feeding can increase property damage, conflict, disease transmission, and risk to the animal.
Seasonal knowledge helps prevent avoidable conflict.
Exact timing varies with weather, elevation, habitat, and the individual animal.
Young animals and returning activity
Give mothers and young animals extra space. Bears become more active and migratory birds return.
Feeding and raising young
Wildlife may use meadows, shade, water, yards, roads, and trails throughout the day.
Breeding behavior increases risk
Elk rut and moose breeding behavior can make large animals more defensive and unpredictable.
Energy conservation matters
Avoid forcing wildlife to move unnecessarily when food is limited and survival depends on conserving energy.
Road awareness
Drive cautiously near meadows, river corridors, wooded roads, and low-light travel periods.
Check official alerts
Park closures, seasonal rules, fire conditions, and wildlife guidance can change.
Common questions about living with wildlife.
Species-specific chapters provide more detailed guidance.
Why do elk and deer enter neighborhoods?
Developed areas overlap habitat, travel routes, food, water, and seasonal movement patterns.
Is it safe to approach wildlife?
No. Wild animals can become defensive without warning.
Should I feed deer or elk?
No. Feeding changes natural behavior and can increase conflict and harm.
What should I do if a bear enters my yard?
Stay inside or maintain a secure distance, remove people and pets from danger, and follow current Colorado Parks and Wildlife guidance.
Can pets trigger wildlife encounters?
Yes. Dogs and other pets can appear threatening or may be viewed as prey by some species.
Who handles wildlife emergencies?
Contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife or local law enforcement for dangerous, injured, trapped, or aggressive wildlife situations.
Explore the Wildlife Guide.
Move through the species chapters or return to the volume homepage.
References used for this chapter
Always follow current agency guidance and emergency instructions.
Rocky Mountain National Park Wildlife Viewing
Official species counts, safe viewing, and legal rules regarding feeding and harassment.
View wildlife guidanceRocky Mountain National Park Wildlife Safety
Official guidance on photography, attracting wildlife, and protecting natural behavior.
View wildlife safetyColorado Parks and Wildlife: Living with Wildlife
State guidance for wildlife encounters in parks, cities, open spaces, and backyards.
View living-with-wildlife guidanceColorado Parks and Wildlife: Protect Your Home
Official information about habitat overlap and reducing wildlife conflict around developed areas.
View home guidanceColorado Parks and Wildlife: Protecting Pets
Official recommendations for keeping pets controlled near wildlife.
View pet-safety guidanceLarimer County Wildlife Protection Ordinance
Official wildlife-friendly trash management requirements for the Estes Valley Planning Area.
View the ordinance