According to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife department, just like mountain goats, the largest member of the deer family is not native to the state. There are historical records from early settlers sighting and hunting the animals in northern Colorado as far back as the 1850s. However, these were all transient moose coming into northern Colorado from southern Wyoming. These animals never established a permanent breeding population.
Wildlife managers are primarily responsible for Colorado’s moose population. Wildlife biologists in the state believed there was good habitat that moose could utilize. Ergo, they worked to promote the idea of transplanting moose into Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Otherwise, the state’s moose population would still be limited to transient animals passing through northern Colorado from southern Wyoming.
Moose Introduction to Colorado
Colorado wildlife officials began contemplating transplanting moose into the state in the 1950s. They believed that there was an unutilized habitat in Colorado where moose could thrive. They held public meetings to discuss the idea. Competing interests such as cattle ranchers, sheep grazers, and advocates for native wildlife species expressed concern that moose might compete with other animals for the available forage. They also worried that moose might damage existing ecosystems. Consequently, the decision to introduce moose into the state was a slow, deliberate one. Moose were not introduced into Colorado until the late 1970s.
In 1978 the Colorado Division of Wildlife introduced 12 moose from Utah to the North Park region west of the Never Summer Mountains near Walden in northern Colorado. Subsequently, in that same year, they released 12 moose from Wyoming into the same region along the Illinois River. In more recent times, 1995 to be exact, the Colorado state legislature declared Walden to be the moose viewing capital of Colorado.
Subsequently, the Colorado Division of Wildlife released 12 moose from Wyoming into the Laramie River Valley near Glendevey.
From 1991 through 1993, 93 moose from Utah, Wyoming, and North Park Colorado were released into the upper Rio Grande valley near Crede, Colorado. Text cited
From 2005 through 2007, the Colorado Department of Wildlife released 91 Utah moose into the Grand Mesa National Forest.
In 2009 and 2010, the Colorado Department of Wildlife struck again, releasing 19 Utah moose and 20 from North Park Colorado into the White River National Forest.
Today through natural increase, the state’s moose population is approaching 3,000 animals. To be enjoyed by hunters, outdoorsmen, and wildlife enthusiasts.
Colorado’s moose are Shiras moose, the scientific name (alces alces shirasi). Shiras moose are the smallest of the four moose sub-species that are native to the northern regions of North America.
Where To See Moose In Colorado
- Roaring Fork Valley– Moose migrated from the Grand Mesa into the Roaring Fork Valley. The affluent communities of Glenwood Springs and Aspen are within this mountain valley, and some moose are becoming habituated to people and vice versa, which is never a good thing. It’s easy for people to forget that moose are dangerous wild animals. More people are injured by moose each year in Alaska than by bears and wolves combined. A good place to run into a moose is the North Star Nature Preserve. The Preserve is a few miles east of Aspen. The Roaring Fork River runs through the preserve, and moose sightings there are almost commonplace.
- North Park-North Park is a high mountain valley that is a 3-hour drive to the northwest of Denver. It is located mostly in Jackson County. North Park opens to the north into Wyoming and is the location of the headwaters of the North Platte River. There is a lot of moose country in North Park. Consequently, this is where the first moose were introduced into the state. Look for moose in the marshy areas along the Illinois River. Moose feed on river bottom willow leaves, buds, and twigs, as well as other aquatic plants. State Forest State Park, which is about a 22-mile drive out of Walden, is also a good place to see moose. You may even spot moose from your vehicle as you drive along the course of the Michigan River. As stated earlier, Walden and its surrounding area are designated the moose watching capital of Colorado.
- Rocky Mountain National Park- Rocky Mountain National Park is located within the Rocky Mountain Front Range, approximately 55 miles to the northwest of Denver. It sits between the towns of Grande Lake to the west and Estes Park to the east. The continental divide runs right through its center. The park has Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and the largest members of the deer family, moose. Additionally, predators such as coyotes, black bears, and mountain lions are present there. They’re just going to be harder to find. The west side of the park edges out the east side for moose viewing opportunities. With that in mind, look for moose in the 22-mile long Kawuneeche Valley, which is a 10-minute drive out of Grand Lake, Colorado. To get there, take U.S 34 north along the Colorado River out of Grand Lake.
Moose Safety
Moose rank highly with some of the more watchable wildlife because, at times, they seem to lack some of the basic flight instinct that other deer species have. Because of this, people get the mistaken idea that they’re tame. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They are wild animals. Consequently, for safety’s sake, you need to keep a safe distance from them.
Even though moose may look docile, they have fight or flight zones around them like all other wild animals. If you get too close, instead of running away, that moose may just decide to run at you. If this is the case, bear in mind that they can run up to 35 miles per hour.
If one attacks you, it will knock you to the ground and proceed to stomp and kick you until it decides you are no longer a threat. With this in mind, if you should happen upon a moose in the woods, instead of edging closer to it for a better look, back off and give it some space.
Things That Make Moose More Dangerous
- Moose cows are particularly dangerous when they have small calves. Being between one and her calf is a real bad place to be.
- Bull moose become a little more unpredictable and dangerous during their mating season, which is in the early fall, mid-September through mid-October.
- When snow depths increase, moose become stressed from trudging through all that deep snow as they search for food. In the wintertime, moose are more likely to end up in close proximity to human habitations. If you should end up with a wintertime moose in your backyard, do not try to approach it. Give it some space and call the wildlife officers to come and move it to a safer area.
- Moose instinctively regard dogs as potential predators as they do all other k9s such as coyotes or wolves. Therefore, when they encounter a dog, they’re likely to try to eliminate the perceived threat. If your headed into moose country and you feel that you must have your dog with you, keep it on a leash. Better yet, leave your dog home.
Odds Of Drawing A Colorado Moose Hunting Tag
What I have here is a collective summary of the number of people that applied for the available Colorado moose tags, along with the tags available in 2021. The individual hunting units will have higher or lower odds of drawing out than is reflected in the aggregate of the entire state. Also, an individual hunter can accrue preference points that skew the odds of successfully drawing a tag a little more in their favor.
In 2021, 46792 individuals applied for a grand total of 529 available Colorado moose tags. Of the available moose tags, 468 of them were set aside for adult Colorado residents. The number of adult Colorado residents that applied for the draw was 37,201. This makes the odds of a Colorado resident drawing a moose tag 1 in 79.70. What’s more, the odds for a non-resident adult to draw one of the 50 available Colorado moose tags in 2021 were much lower at 1 in 185.
Youth Moose Tags
In 2021 there were 10 available Colorado resident youth moose tags and 1 non-resident youth tag. The odds of drawing one of these were 1 in 520 and 1 in 1219, respectively.
Preference Points
Every year that an individual hunter applies for a hunting permit but is unsuccessful in the draw, they are awarded a preference point. Each preference point increases the odds that the hunter will successfully draw a tag in the following year. For a detailed explanation, see here.
Also, See
Moose Subspecies Of North America
