Moose Attacks Hunter Who Shot It With an Arrow
Missed shot caused the animal to seek revenge.
A hunter had to be airlifted out of a remote area of Colorado this week after he tried to shoot a moose with an arrow, which caused the animal to seek revenge—it charged and gored the man, authorities said. Read on to find out what happened, and how common moose attacks are in Colorado. (Probably much more common than you think.)
The man, who has not been identified, was in a remote area in the Poudre Canyon, about 70 miles west of Fort Collins. Just after noon on Tuesday, he shot an arrow at a moose. He missed. The animal then charged and gored him, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
The hunter had brought a GPS emergency response beacon, which he activated to notify the authorities. Another group of hunters found him soon after as he tried to hike out of the area. They helped transport him to the main road. There, a deputy applied a tourniquet to his wound, which the sheriff's office called a "life-saving maneuver." "He was in very bad shape," said Jenevieve Kramer, a spokesperson for the Larimer County Sheriff's Office. Because of the severity of his injuries, the man was airlifted to a nearby hospital. His current condition is unclear.
Here's a little-known fact: Colorado has an archery moose season, which runs from Sept. 11 to Sept. 30. Here are some more: Colorado's Parks and Wildlife department said this is the fourth time a moose has attacked a person in Colorado this year, and the 13th such attack since 2019. And one more: Adult moose weighs about 1,000 pounds and stand 6 feet tall.
The hunter reacted correctly in this situation, said Jason Surface, Colorado Parks and Wildlife area wildlife manager, in a statement. "This was an unfortunate incident, but he was prepared," said Surface. "If not for the GPS beacon he activated, he may not have survived." "His ability to stay cool after being mangled by a moose, to have that presence of mind is pretty impressive," he added. "Having an emergency beacon device contributed to this hunter's rescue and it is always good to have a plan when in the woods by yourself."
"Big game animals, especially moose, can be aggressive and unpredictable," Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a news release. "And hunting comes with risks, especially bow hunting, which requires getting closer to the animal than other forms of hunting." The agency said they "will not be taking management action on the moose."
