Snowmass has been illegally feeding foxes, police report

Snowmass residents and/or visitors have reportedly been feeding local foxes, according to the Snowmass Police Department. 

The department received three to four reports across Snowmass of foxes displaying behavior indicating they’d been intentionally fed, said Lauren Martenson, Snowmass Police Community Response.

“And then the foxes lose their fear of humans,” Martenson said. 

If an animal becomes too accustomed to humans as a source of food, Police Chief Brian Olson said it might result in animal euthanization.

“And that’s an unfortunate outcome that I think feeders don’t realize,” Olson added. “That’s the future disaster they’re creating.”

Martenson reminded residents that feeding wildlife is illegal and police will write tickets to enforce the existing Snowmass ordinance prohibiting wildlife feeding.

Both humans and foxes suffer if residents don’t abide by the ordinance, Martenson added. Foxes can spread disease to humans or get sick from consuming human food. They might also lose their natural instincts to hunt and survive in the wilderness, which can be passed from generation-to-generation.

“If a mom is frequently getting food from a source, she can pass that on to her kids.” Marteson said. 

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Residents might be unaware of an animal’s potentially aggressive behavior from being fed by humans, which could result in an “unfortunate incident,” Olson said. 

“And they might get bitten,” Olson said. 

Between Jan. 1 and July 29 this year, there have been more Snowmass Police calls for service regarding foxes and coyotes compared to the same dates in 2024. The police saw 10 fox reports this year compared to five last year, and 15 coyote reports this year compared to 13 last year between those dates. 

Moose reports have fallen slightly between the same dates in 2024 and 2025, with three reported this year and five reported last year. Bear reports fell dramatically, with 45 reported this year and 129 reported last year between the same dates.

“Fortunatnely our bear calls are down from last year,” Martenson said. “Last year was a very poor natural food year, so we had a lot of human-bear conflict.”

She said there was a freeze in June 2024, depleting bears’ natural food source in the area of berries and acorns. Although Snowmass has mostly seen dry weather this spring and summer, Marteson said the area produced enough berries and acorns so far to supply bears with a natural source of food.

She reminded residents, however, to always practice good bear management strategies: secure outside trash in a bear-proof dumpster or garbage can, leave barbeques clean, don’t feed pets outside, keep bird feeders inaccessible, and lock garages, cars, windows, houses, or other indoor areas with odoronts and food that could attract a bear. 

The Town of Snowmass Village also states to never feed any kind of wildlife — bear or otherwise — inadvertently or intentionally.

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.