After a long weekend of three separate human-moose encounters in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Parks and Wildlife warned the public to be aware of aggressive cow moose during calving season. At least one person was injured in each attack.

A May 31 incident in the Columbine Lake neighborhood of Grand Lake involved a couple who were walking their dog around 8 p.m., according to records obtained by Sky-Hi News from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the Grand County Sheriff’s Office.

Suddenly, they were charged by a cow moose. The encounter ended with the deaths of both the cow and her calf, as well as minor injuries to the woman who was knocked down by the moose.

An incident report obtained from parks and wildlife states that the couple was “blind-sided” by the cow moose by the side of their house while walking towards the front door. The moose charged and knocked the girlfriend to the ground.

A report from the Grand County Sheriff’s Office details how the encounter ended. The man reported that the moose continued to advance towards his girlfriend, trying to trample her. She was able to crawl between two items next to the house to hide from the moose.

Fearing for the life of the woman, the man drew a holstered Springfield 9mm pistol and fired “three to four shots” at the moose. The moose then ran off, but died about 20 feet from the location of the incident, he told the sheriff’s office. The calf was seen in the nearby tree line.

The man said he and his girlfriend had moved to the area two months ago and recently acquired a firearm for protection.

An incident report from the Grand County Sheriff’s Office states that an officer responded to a call regarding a moose attack on May 31 at approximately 8:45 p.m. after being called by the man.

A wildlife officer with Colorado Parks and Wildlife also responded to the incident, and determined that the dead moose was lactating. This confirmed that the newborn calf belonged to the moose.

The couple were described as “cooperative” in the sheriff’s office report. In an interview with the officer, they stated that they had no chance to retreat into their home. The man believed the moose was going to kill the woman, which prompted him to use his firearm in protection.

The wildlife officer concluded that the shooting of the moose was in self-defense, as they were in imminent danger of severe injury or death.

The woman who was attacked sustained minor scrapes and bruises. She said that she was “more shaken” than physically hurt.

During the interaction, a neighbor approached the scene, expressing shock and concern over the shooting. They mentioned hearing “three shots” before law enforcement arrived. The neighbor was instructed to return to their home.

After the wildlife officer loaded the moose into their patrol vehicle, they searched for the newborn calf. It was found bedded within 25 yards of the cow. The report writes that the officer got supervisor approval to humanely euthanize the calf so that it would not starve to death.

The news release from parks and wildlife about the initial encounter included information from Hot Sulphur Springs area wildlife manager Jeromy Huntington, who said that the decision to euthanize the calf was “not easy to make.”

“While rehabilitation can be successful in some cases, it’s not a guaranteed solution. In the case of this moose calf, taking it to a rehab at such a young age would not be in the best interest of the animal’s long-term survival in the wild,” Huntington said.

Wildlife are brought to a rehabilitation facility with the intention of returning animals back into the wild, but parks and wildlife’s regulations state that wildlife may not be held for more than one year.

Huntington said that bringing a calf as young as this one to a rehabilitation facility would increase its chance for future conflicts with humans.

“At this age, the only thing this moose will know is human interaction for survival. If rehabilitation in a facility is successful, we believe the moose would already be habituated to humans, which can lead to increased potential of threat to human health and safety,” he said.

How to yourself and wildlife safe according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has a variety of advice for safely coexisting with wildlife like moose.

Moose calves are born from mid-May through early June and female moose are very protective of their young during this time. Moose can often be seen foraging in areas with thick willows and riparian areas. Cows will hide their calves to protect them from predators, but are often hanging out nearby.

Cows are more likely to be aggressive to people and dogs, so dog owners are encouraged to keep their dogs on leash to avoid starting moose, and to avoid moose habitat while recreating.

Laid back ears, raised hairs on the neck, lowered head, swaying back and forth, licking of the snout, cocking of the head, and rolling eyes and ears back are all signs of aggression from moose. When a moose begins displaying these aggressive behaviors or begins to charge, people should run as fast as possible and try to put a large object between themselves and the animal.

Moose exhibiting dangerous behavior towards people should be reported to Colorado Parks and Wildlife at CPW.state.co.us/contact-us.