It’s been a busy few days for moose at Winter Park Resort! What could be very easily be the same moose and calf pair have been putting on quite the show around the resort, popping up near ski lifts and on trails to the delight of guests and the stress of mountain safety.
Colorado is home to over 3,000 moose, with an introduction effort that began the 1970s creating a thriving breeding population across the state. It is one of the fastest growing moose populations in the lower 48 states, so it’s not all that surprising to see them pop up on the cleanly groomed trails of ski resorts.
While certainly a cool experience for visitors of Winter Park, moose can be quite dangerous if they feel the need to defend themselves or their young. They should always be given a wide amount of space and never approached, as most people in the above video fortunately seemed to do.
Colorado Parks & Wildlife Moose Viewing Guidelines:
Decades ago hardly anyone ever saw a moose in Colorado. Today the state’s moose populations are thriving, thanks to successful reintroduction efforts by Colorado Parks and Wildlife that begin in 1978. Moose have become a main attraction for all who enjoy watching wildlife. The state legislature even designated Walden as the “Moose Viewing Capital of Colorado” in 1995.
- Find a high spot that looks down into drainages for an excellent vantage point.
- Drive slowly along logging roads on national forest lands that parallel drainages.
- Look for moose sign—large tracks, droppings, browsed willows—along the edges of willow bottoms and aspen or pine forests. Moose tracks are very large and often show dewclaws (a rudimentary claw or small hoof not reaching the ground) in snow or mud.
- Listen for moose sounds, which are limited to grunting, with bulls being the most vocal during the mating season.
- Realize moose do not herd into large groups as do many species of big game, even in winter. They prefer to travel in small family groups or to remain secluded.
- A good place to view them is near the water, as moose are excellent swimmers and are very much at home in the water.
- Never approach moose too closely. Watch and photograph from safe distances using telephoto lenses, binoculars and spotting scopes.
- Move slowly and not directly at them. Back off if they exhibit signs of aggression.
