Colorado Moose Safety Tips

The Basics:

Moose live almost everywhere in Colorado and are easily recognizable by their gigantic stature.
They can stand over 6’ tall at the shoulder, weigh between 800-1200 lbs, have large ears, a droopy snout, and have a flap of skin (called a bell) at their throat. Bulls have large antlers.
These antlers are shed in early winter and re-grown each year. The antlers can reach over 5 feet wide in older bulls.
Moose are often spotted in, or near, water and love to eat willows (their primary food source). Moose know how to swim.
Moose were reintroduced in Colorado around 1978 and have thrived since then. There are now around 3,000 moose statewide.
Their breeding season (called rut) is mid-September through October. Cows give birth in May and June. Twins are common and even triplets have been documented.
Moose may live up to 20 years old.

Moose are very protective of their young and will be aggressive if they feel threatened. Bulls are also territorial and may be aggressive.
Keep your dogs leashed and consider not bringing your pet if you know moose are in the area. Moose react to all dogs as they would to a wolf - one of their primary predators - by attempting to crush it with their hooves.
Watch for signs of aggression: laid back ears, raised hairs on the neck, licking of the snout, cocking their head, and rolling their eyes and ears back

Keep your distance. They are very unlikely to charge, unless they feel threatened. If they do, it means you’re too close.
If a moose displays aggressive behavior or begins to charge, run as fast as you can and try to put a large object between you such as a boulder, car or tree. Moose don’t tend to chase humans for very long, unlike bears.
Use bear spray if necessary.