Colorado Parks and wildlife officers are still looking for a bear that attacked a man at his home just outside New Castle over the weekend.

“This is an unfortunate reminder that we need to be vigilant and ‘bear aware’ at all times,” area wildlife manager Kirk Oldham said. 

The man suffered minor injuries and was released from the hospital early Sunday morning to recover from home, after a family member took him to the hospital after the attack. 

This is the second bear attack in New Castle this season.

The attack happened at 10:30 p.m. Saturday night after the victim said he went to investigate a noise outside his home. He found the bear in his backyard and startled it which caused the bear to knock him over. 

The victim said he used one hand to cover his face while reaching for his gun with his other hand. Once he grabbed his gun, he shot three times scaring the bear away. 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife was notified of the attack at 1 a.m. on Sunday morning, and arrived at the scene at 2 a.m., but were unable to find any kind of blood trail due to heavy rains. 

The incident happened outside of town limits of New Castle in Garfield County.

Garfield County Sheriff’s Office deputies attempted to use a drone with infrared sensors to locate the bear, but were unsuccessful. The search has continued with no success in locating the bear. 

The man is unsure whether or not he hit the bear when he shot, but Parks and Wildlife is asking the residents to contact Colorado State Patrol if they spot an injured or dead bear in New Castle. 

“We continue to see a lot of bear activity during the overnight hours as bears prepare for hibernation,” Oldham said. “Easy access to food sources, such as trash and fruit from trees that have fallen to the ground, will attract bears. Simple steps like picking up fruit and removing any attractants around your home are important in preventing incidents like this.”

The man said he noticed the bear at his home the past two nights, and Oldham said that it’s important that bears do not feel comfortable around residences. If a bear is spotted on your property, make loud noises and throw things at them to scare them away. 

This story is from PostIndependent.com.