Following a spate of recent wildlife encounters that have left several people injured, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has issued a warning about cow moose exhibiting potentially aggressive behavior during calving season. Reports from Park, Grand, and Routt counties indicate conflicts are mostly related to moose encounters with off-leash dogs near water sources with thick vegetation, places where moose with young calves often inhabit.
The need for public vigilance in moose country cannot be overstated, during late spring and early summer cow moose are protective of their young, and dogs, in particular, can provoke their aggression, with the moose mistaking them as predators, attacks have been aimed at both pets and their owners; this behavior underscores the importance for hikers to leash their dogs, respect wildlife signs, and choose trails with good visibility. CPW officials recommend placing obstacles, such as trees or rocks, between oneself and a charging moose, ensuring to avoid areas where calves might be present, signaling heightened moose protectiveness.
Among the incidents, a dramatic encounter in Fairplay on May 30 culminated with two women being repeatedly trampled by a cow moose while walking their dogs off-leash; they escaped harm by scaling a roof, as confirmed by CPW's Northeast Region PIO Kara Van Hoose. In a separate event on May 31, a woman in Grand Lake was attacked by a moose but escaped by hiding. The moose was ultimately shot by her boyfriend, acting in self-defense, and no charges were filed. CPW officers were left with the difficult decision to euthanize the moose's calf. "The decision to euthanize the calf was not easy to make," said Jeromy Huntington, Hot Sulphur Springs Area Wildlife Manager, as obtained by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, noting the challenging prospects for the successful rehabilitation of a young calf.
The most recent attack on June 1 saw a woman walking her leashed dogs in Steamboat Springs when she was charged by a cow moose, her injuries warranting hospitalization and subsequent airlift to a Front Range facility, a man who assisted her was also kicked by the moose, though CPW officers who arrived afterward assessed the scene and did not take further action against the moose post-attack, they and the City of Steamboat Springs have placed a temporary closure on River Creek Park to ensure public and wildlife safety while they monitor the situation. Despite the prevalence of moose in Colorado, incidents remain relatively rare, with CPW responding to only 22 injuries from moose since 2019, but as these recent events show, potential conflicts loom for those sharing space with these large, powerful animals.
With the backdrop of these occurrences, CPW urges anyone who experiences a moose conflict to report it immediately to their local office. Those seeking additional information regarding the attacks can reach out to Northeast Region PIO Kara Van Hoose for the incident in Fairplay, or to Northwest Region PIO Rachael Gonzales for the attacks in Grand Lake and Steamboat Springs, as per Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
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