The pair of chickens were just about finished in Jeff Wood’s pellet smoker, and now it was a waiting game for the Ouray police chief. Remove them too early, and they’re too hot to do anything with. Remove them too late, and they’re cold.

A bear, though, apparently thought the birds were just right.

Ouray’s furry warm-weather visitors are starting to make their return to town, and nobody knows that better than Wood, who lost the fowl to a late-night thief last week.

Mild spring weather means...