Moose Killed After Charging Two Hikers and a Dog Multiple Times, Seriously Injuring One

A male hiker was seriously injured on Wednesday morning when he, his female hiking partner, and their dog were charged by an aggressive cow moose during an early morning hike in Boulder County, CO. The moose knocked the man to the ground. It was still stomping around him when a sheriff’s deputy responded to the scene near the West Magnolia Trailhead.

According to a Boulder County Sheriff’s Office news release, “after arriving on-scene, a Boulder County Sheriff’s Office deputy encountered the cow moose as he was locating the injured parties who were yelling for help. He attempted to scare off the moose by firing bean bags rounds at it. The moose ran off at that time. The deputy was assisting the two injured parties when the moose returned to the area. The deputy fired a warning shot and the moose left the area a second time. As the deputy and medics were evacuating the injured male to the trailhead, the moose returned to the area for a third time, the moose continued to charge at people, so the deputy discharged his weapon and killed the moose.”

The sheriff’s office reported that the male hiker sustained “serious bodily injury” during the incident. The woman and dog both received minor injuries.

Calving Season

Jason Clay of Colorado Parks and Wildlife told CBS Denver that after the animal initially fled the bean bag gun (after the first charge), it encountered a cyclist on the trail who sprayed it with bear spray. That caused it to return to the group near the trailhead and continue to charge them. Clay also pointed out that moose calving season has recently begun, during which time the animals, particularly females, tend to be more aggressive out of an instinct to protect their young.

This is the third incident of a moose attacking humans in Colorado this year, according to the sheriff’s office. It follows one in Breckenridge on May 26th and one in Grand Lake on May 31. Both of those incidents also involved females protecting their calves.

Hikers should exercise particular caution now through the end of June. Many animals, including moose, elk, and deer, may act aggressively to protect newborns during this time. Avoid walking through dense willow habitats in riparian areas, which tend to attract moose and can lead to surprise encounters. Also, keep your dog on a leash or leave it at home this month, as dogs can agitate moose.

Featured image: A cow moose and her calf feeding on willows, a typical moose habitat, at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming in July 2017. USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.