Give moose room in Chaffee County's willows and high country

Moose have spread across Colorado’s high country, and spotting one is a genuine thrill. Look for them in the willow flats along creeks and in the basins below the Collegiate Peaks. They are bigger and calmer-looking than the deer and elk you may be used to, which is exactly why it is worth knowing how to share the trail with them.

The thing to plan around is that moose do not look dangerous. They move slowly and let you get close, and then they can move faster than you would guess. Colorado Parks and Wildlife notes that encounters with moose are becoming more common as their range grows. Bulls get touchy during the fall breeding season, roughly late September into November, and cow moose stay very protective of their calves well into summer. A moose that drops its ears, raises the hair on its back, or licks its lips is telling you it would like more space.

Dogs are the biggest thing to watch. A moose often reads a dog as a wolf, its natural enemy, so a loose or barking dog can turn a quiet sighting into a tense moment for the owner too. Keep dogs leashed and close, give any moose a wide berth, and put a tree or a vehicle between you and the animal if it comes toward you. Do that, and a moose sighting is one of the best surprises the high country offers.

For simple, current guidance on living and recreating around moose, see Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Living with Moose page.