Moose mania
As introduced ungulates make home in SWCO, here's what you need to know

A tall, dark stranger has come to the mountains of Colorado. (And no, this is not another story about Bigfoot.) Rather, we’re talking something a little less exotic: Alces alces shirasi. For you non-bio majors out there, this is the scientific name of the subspecies of moose found throughout Colorado – aka the shiras moose, also commonly called the Yellowstone or Wyoming moose. (Or Bullwinkle if you’re a kid of the ’70s.)

And if you’re lucky, you’ve caught a glimpse of these stealthy cruisers of the creek bottoms by now.

“I was surprised at how quiet they were,” Durango resident Deb Hall said of a recent visit in her campsite along South Mineral Creek, north of Silverton, by a mama moose and her offspring. “I just looked up, and there they were.”

Fortunately, the moose went undetected by the family dog – and vice versa – and eventually went merrily along their way down the stream.

But Hall was among the luckier ones. Although human interactions with the mostly docile creatures in Colorado are rare, they have been on the rise in recent years. So far this year, there have been six reported incidents of aggressive moose attacking people in Colorado – up from just two in 2024. All incidents entailed a mother moose protecting her calves and humans with dogs.

“We see between two to four moose attacks in an average year,” John Livingston, Public Information Officer of the Southwest Region for Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Durango, said. “This year is certainly a little bit alarming.”

Although there have been no reported moose incidents in Southwest Colorado this year, he said there was one a few years back in Ironton, north of Silverton, involving a tourist who saw a moose from the highway. When the moose disappeared into the willows, the tourist got out of her car to follow it and get a better look. Things did not end well.

“She walked down into the willows, and the moose was right in front of her,” said Livingston. The moose charged, but the woman was able to run back into the road and hide behind a car.

New kids on the block

All of this, of course, highlights a basic lack of knowledge about these relative newcomers to the Colorado landscape. And with good reason. Up until about 45 years ago, moose were virtually nonexistent in the state, with only small numbers occasionally wandering over into northern Colorado from Wyoming, perhaps in search of a cold Coors. But, thanks to a reintroduction effort that started in the 1970s, moose now number about 3,500 in Colorado.

“Colorado would’ve been on the southern end of their range historically,” Jamin Grigg, senior wildlife biologist in CPW’s Durango office, said.

However, at the behest of wildlife watchers and hunters, moose were introduced to Colorado starting in 1978. The first batch of 24 was transplanted from Utah and Wyoming to Colorado's North Park region, near Walden. There were five more subsequent releases in other parts of the state through 2012.

“They were brought here both for hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities,” said Grigg. “They are one of the top species for wildlife viewing.”

Keeping a safe distance

True, nothing starts the car rubber-necking conga line like a moose by the highway (of which I, myself, am guilty.) Once as rare as a one-legged unicorn, sightings of these largest members of the ungulate family are now fairly commonplace around Silverton and Purgatory. Nevertheless, it’s still perfectly normal to get goose, er, moose bumps when you see these guys (and gals), who can tip the scales at 1,000 pounds with their statuesque silhouettes.

But, when it comes to moose viewing, there are a few guidelines – namely that they are not statues. And despite their cute, cartoonish appearance, moose are, in fact, wild animals.

“They are very territorial,” said Livingston. “We recommend 330 feet of distance for viewing. They can cover a lot of ground in a hurry.”

For starters, moose have long legs and can hit speeds of 35 mph. He also noted that although moose can be seen any time of the year, June and July are prime time for moose activity, as it is calving season. 

Secondly, moose are what are known as “browsers,” subsisting on willows and wetland plants. They can consume up to 60 pounds of vegetation in a single day. Therefore, anglers and others who frequent riparian zones should be extra vigilant about not surprising moose, who are quietly going about their daily browsing.

“If you live in or go out in moose habitat, take a look around you and be really aware of your surroundings,” said Livingston. “You never know what you’ll find around the corner.”

And of course, as much as it pains us to do so, if you’re heading into prime moose habitat, it’s best to leave the four-leggeds at home. Even having your dog on a leash or hanging onto them may not be enough. In fact, it will only bring the object of the moose’s ire closer to you.

And what if, god forbid, you find yourself on the receiving end of a moose’s bum rush? As in the Ironton attack, Livingston recommends a) running like heck, and b) hiding behind something large, like a vehicle, boulder or tree. Grigg also said deterrents work, from bear spray to loud noises, like yelling, banging pots and pans, honking car horns or blaring Kid Rock or Nickelback. (Just kidding about those last two – that would be animal cruelty.)

Steady growth

Most importantly, though, we need to remember that while moose attacks gain a lot of attention, they are relatively rare. Since 2006 – when there was a human fatality from a moose attack in Colorado – CPW has had 30 reports of moose attacks in the state, 20 of which involved dogs. 

“Moose are still pretty low density in Colorado,” said Grigg.

For example, in the southwest portion of the state, there are about 5,000 black bears and 1,000 mountain lions compared to around 650 moose. This is up from the 93 moose that were first introduced to Southwest Colorado near Creede from 1991-93. Since then, the population has grown and spread out, dispersing to Archuleta, Conejos, Gunnison, La Plata, Rio Grande, Saguache and San Juan counties.

Livingston said there may be a misconception there are more moose around since, occasionally, young rogue males will wander down drainages to places where they are not normally found.

“We’ve had moose in Santa Fe, Alamosa, Bloomfield, Shiprock and Ignacio,” he said. “This kind of plays into the thought that there are more moose on the landscape.”

In those situations, the moose are usually left to, uh, moosey on. Although, in some situations – like when a moose wandered onto Durango’s grid near the Fort Lewis College hill a few years ago – they are relocated for safety.

“He was hanging around in people’s yards for a few days, so it wasn’t safe,” said Livingston. “We loaded him into a horse trailer and brought him up into the San Juan National Forest.”

Here to stay

And speaking of hanging around, Livingston and Grigg say moose are here to stay in Colorado – a true wildlife introduction success story. In fact, Colorado has one of the fastest growing moose populations in the Lower 48. “We really don’t know why they’re doing so well in Colorado, but they are,” said Grigg.

In fact, they are doing so well in some places, like Rocky Mountain National Park, that there are concerns about overbrowsing of wetlands.

One management tool, of course, is hunting. In 2024, CPW issued 670 moose licenses with 501 harvested. For 2025, 716 moose licenses were issued. 

However, Grigg said the agency is still trying to get a handle on what the state’s carrying capacity for moose is and what a healthy population target looks like. With that in mind, CPW is in the process of developing a draft herd management plan, which should be available for public comment in a few weeks.

One thing that may affect moose numbers in coming years, Grigg said, is the reintroduction of the gray wolf. Although they prefer elk, which are smaller, wolves have been known to prey on moose, which have few other natural predators.

“There are still some unknowns with that,” said Grigg.

However, one risk to moose that we can control is humans behind the wheel of speeding automobiles. “Their bodies are so dark, so it’s extra tough to see them sometimes,” said Livingston. “Their hooves aren’t very good for running on asphalt, so those situations can be a little tricky.”

Six moose were killed by cars in CPW’s Region 5, which includes Durango, in 2023. Fortunately, there were no deaths in 2024 and, so far, none in 2025.

“Luckily we haven’t gotten a report of one in the last year,” said Livingston. “That’s not a fun time at the body shop.”

So, for everyone’s sake, slow the heck down if you’re driving through moose country at night. And, if you’re lucky enough to happen upon one, give it a wide berth and enjoy your wildlife moment – from a safe distance. ■