Colorado Parks and Wildlife is reminding the public to be aware of potentially aggressive cow moose while recreating outdoors during calving season following three conflicts in Grand, Park and Routt counties. At least one person was trampled in each attack.

Cow moose give birth to calves in late spring and early summer and can become more aggressive toward perceived threats to their young during this time. Cows will hide their calves to protect them from predators, but will remain nearby.

Over the course of three days, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers responded to three human-moose encounters, including one in Grand Lake, where a cow moose and her calf died as a result.

Moose charges couple returning from dog walk in Grand Lake

On Saturday, May 31, a couple were returning home from a dog walk when they encountered a cow moose near the Columbine Lake subdivision.

The cow moose charged at the couple and knocked the woman to the ground. She then managed to crawl under a small storage area next to their house, but the moose continued to charge in attempts to stomp her.

“When the moose continued to show aggression towards the woman and showed no signs of leaving, the boyfriend shot and killed the moose,” the release reads.

Parks and wildlife stated that officials believed the man acted in self-defense, since the cow moose was “actively posing a threat to human health and safety.”  

The woman was treated on scene with injuries to her face, shoulder and arms. The dog was on a leash at the time of the attack, and officers believed the cow was protecting a calf, which was bedded out of sight from the victim and her boyfriend at the time.

Wildlife officials located the moose calf and humanely euthanized the animal due to its young age and concerns about long-term survival.

Hot Sulphur Springs area wildlife manager Jeromy Huntington said that the decision to euthanize the calf was “not easy to make.”

“While rehabilitation can be successful in some cases, it’s not a guaranteed solution. In the case of this moose calf, taking it to a rehab at such a young age would not be in the best interest of the animal’s long-term survival in the wild,” Huntington said.

Wildlife are brought to a rehabilitation facility with the intention of returning animals back into the wild and may not be held for more than one year, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s regulations.

Huntington said that due to the calf’s age, taking the animal to a rehabilitation facility would increase the chance for future conflicts with humans.

“At this age, the only thing this moose will know is human interaction for survival. If rehabilitation in a facility is successful, we believe the moose would already be habituated to humans, which can lead to increased potential of threat to human health and safety,” said Huntington.

Grand Lake town manager Steve Kudron said that he believes the majority of people attacked in Grand Lake have had dogs with them.

“I’ve been here about 15 years, and one of the first things I was told is there are very few natural enemies of a moose. The biggest one is a wolf, and a dog smells like a wolf,” Kudron said.

In 2006, former Grand Lake mayor Louis Heckert was repeatedly butted by an 800-pound bull moose as he walked to church. The moose was put down at the scene. The 92-old Heckert died two weeks later from associated head injuries.

Moose encounters in other counties

Two other attacks in Fairplay and Steamboat Springs took place on Friday, May 30 and Sunday, June 1. In both incidents, the individuals were walking dogs at the time of the attack.

On May 30, two women walking four dogs off-leash encountered a cow moose along Fourmile Creek Road in Fairplay, according to parks and wildlife. The moose charged and trampled the women multiple times.

“Eventually, they were able to climb onto a nearby roof to escape. A neighbor hazed the moose away with a fire extinguisher,” the news release stated.

Officers responded to the scene and found two cow moose. Unable to definitively identify which moose was involved in the attack, no further action was taken. Neither woman sought medical treatment.

Then on Sunday evening, June 1, a woman walking her two dogs at River Creek Park in Steamboat Springs was attacked by a cow moose.

Rachael Gonzales, the public information officer for the agency’s northwest region, said that the dog owner did have both dogs leashed at the time of the attack and that she was doing everything that wildlife officials ask. Gonzales said she believes the woman may have simply startled the moose.

“She was walking her two dogs, which were on-leash, and we believe that she probably surprised the female, the cow, who does have two twin calves,” Gonzales said.

A man passing by while paddleboarding on the Yampa River came to the woman’s aid after hearing noise and seeing the woman lying on the ground.

“There was a gentleman on a paddleboard passing by who actually heard her and saw her lying on the ground,” Gonzales said. “He went over there to assist and help her get up towards the parking lot, and the moose did come back and kicked him.”

The woman was flown to the Front Range for medical treatment after the incident. She was first transported to the local hospital by EMS with serious injuries and was the transported to a facility on the Front Range for further treatment.

The paddleboarder was evaluated at the scene and released.

How to stay safe with tips from Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife have several tips for what to do when you see a moose or moose calf while recreating, and how to stay safe in the event of an attack.

The news release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife states that people venturing outdoors should generally practice more awareness while hiking, especially near water with thick vegetation. The agency also encourages people to “turn around or leave an area if a calf is spotted,” because the chance is high that the calf’s mother is nearby.

Dog owners should take extra caution of moose while recreating, due to their “innate aggression toward dogs” during calving season. Most moose conflicts involve dogs and each of the reported attacks over the weekend involved at least one dog. Dog owners should keep their dogs on-leash to avoid startling moose.

“Off-leash dogs can venture off-trail, surprising hidden moose calves or cows. Cows will, in turn, chase retreating dogs, which can bring the moose in contact with humans,” the release states.

In the event that a moose begins to charge, the agency said that getting behind obstacles like trees or boulders can help in the event of a moose attack.

“Respect posted signs warning of aggressive moose behavior or calf activity on trails. Choose a trail with good visibility and make noise when recreating through thick vegetation,” the release states.

Steamboat Pilot & Today reporter John F. Russell contributed to this report.