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9/6/2002
CO Division of Wildlife
MOOSE OR ELK? DON’T MISTAKE THE TWO
Moose are thriving in Colorado, and can often be found in areas where deer and elk are present. The lumbering moose often is the victim of mistaken identity, so hunters should take care to make sure they're firing at the correct animal.
Reintroduced to Colorado 24 years ago, moose are thriving in many parts of the state, and elk hunters should know the difference between these two ungulates. A hunter who mistakes a bull moose for a bull elk can be fined more than $11,000.
There’s no excuse really, since the animals are vastly different in size, color, horn shape and habits. The Shiras moose is the smallest of four sub-species, and much smaller than an Alaska moose, but a mature bull still weighs 1,200 pounds - about twice as much as the average bull elk. Moose are dark brown and appear almost black. Elk are light brown - a bull can be almost golden - with a pale yellow rump.
A moose has a very large, long nose and a “bell” under the throat, compared with the relatively narrow snout of an elk. A mature bull moose also has broad, flat antlers with paddles, unlike the pointed antlers of an elk. But the antlers on some young bull moose have not flattened out yet, so hunters need to look over the entire animal before pulling the trigger.
The largest member of the deer family, moose have adapted to a variety of habitats. They favor abundant willows along streams and ponds, but “ridge runners” also forage in areas of lodgepole pine, oakbrush, aspen, spruce, fir and even sagebrush - in other words, wherever elk can be found.
Moose act very differently, however, when approached by humans. Typically, moose will not flee like elk at the sight of a hunter, which makes them easier to kill. So if it sees you and doesn’t run, it’s probably a moose.
Despite these readily apparent differences, every hunting season brings a number of illegal moose kills. Circumstances vary from mistaken identity by hunters to blatant poaching. And the common denominator in most accidental kills is the absence of optical aids, such as binoculars or spotting scope, to properly identify the species.
The Division of Wildlife stresses that the accidental killing of a moose does not necessarily lead to prosecution, and may not count as part of the hunter’s bag limit if he or she reports the incident promptly and takes care of the meat. Officers will conduct an investigation to determine if the kill is accidental - i.e. unintentionally taking wildlife that is not due to carelessness or negligence - and a hunter who field dresses the animal will be looked at more favorably than one who doesn’t.
But anyone who shoots a moose legally or illegally and takes only part of the animal, or walks away and leaves the carcass to spoil, will have the book thrown at them. The Division’s chief law enforcement officer, John Bredehoft, points out that it is illegal to waste meat, as is poaching, and those who try to conceal evidence of an illegal kill or flee the scene without reporting it can expect no mercy.
The first moose to reach Colorado, 12 from Utah, were planted in the North Park region near Walden in 1978. The next year, another dozen were released in the Illinois River drainage. Some of these moose moved into the Laramie River Valley and, in 1987, an additional 12 animals were brought in from Wyoming. By 1991, the North Park population was doing so well that some of those moose were moved to the upper Rio Grande drainage near Creede.
Continued supplementation with moose from Wyoming and Utah brought the Creede herd to about 100 animals by 1993.
Statewide, the number of moose in Colorado was estimated at 1,175 after last year’s hunting season. John Ellenberger, the Division’s big game manager, says all but the Creede herd are at or near objective. The biggest herd in North Park has expanded its range into Middle Park, and some moose have even made their way to the eastern rim of Grand Mesa, where the Division has been conducting a habitat study to assess the feasibility of future moose plantings.
Moose have an uncanny ability to wander where least expected. They have been spotted near Cripple Creek, Salida, Westcliffe, Gunnison, Hayden, Steamboat Springs and Summit County. One was seen near the Eisenhower Tunnel on heavily traveled Interstate 70 and another made its way into downtown Craig.
“Given the behavior that moose exhibit, we’ll eventually have them all over the state,” says Ellenberger.
The Colorado Wildlife Commission began issuing a limited number of moose hunting licenses in 1985. In the first six years, when the number of licenses ranged from three to seven, there were more illegal or accidental kills of moose than the legal harvest. But the number of moose hunting licenses increased substantially in 1992, and the kill ratio has gone up exponentially since then.
Last year, 133 moose licenses were issued, and 102 moose were legally killed, a success rate of 84 percent. There also were 12 cases of illegal killing or wounding, with only two of the perpetrators apprehended.
One hunter who turned himself in said he came across the animal bedded down, and didn’t take the time to determine if it was a moose or an elk. He said he saw large spikes with antler points and fired almost immediately “to keep it from running away.” It turned out to be a moose with a 40-inch spread, for which he didn’t have a license.
Another non-resident hunter with a moose license killed a bull in the wrong game unit. He did not turn himself in, and was only caught after taking the head to a taxidermist in Colorado Springs. He was charged with wasting game meat, hunting without a license, illegal possession of moose and violating the Sampson Law. Even with a plea bargain, he paid $2,100 in fines and $5,000 in restitution to the state.
This year, 115 licenses were issued for the three moose seasons - archery Sept. 7-29, muzzleloading Sept. 14-22 and rifle Oct. 1-9. Despite the traditionally high success rate that moose hunters enjoy in Colorado, Ellenberger projects a post-hunt population of 1,260.
Year, Licenses Issued, Legal Harvest, Illegal/Accidental Kills
1985 5 3 5
1986 3 3 5
1987 3 3 4
1988 3 3 1
1989 5 5 14
1990 5 5 15
1991 7 7 11
1992 62 57 21
1993 114 101 19
1994 112 92 15
1995 128 104 26
1996 114 90 18
1997 108 75 16
1998 79 54 36
1999 80 56 20
2000 85 64 9
2001 133 102 12
Division of Wildlife
CO Division of Wildlife
MOOSE OR ELK? DON’T MISTAKE THE TWO
Moose are thriving in Colorado, and can often be found in areas where deer and elk are present. The lumbering moose often is the victim of mistaken identity, so hunters should take care to make sure they're firing at the correct animal.
Reintroduced to Colorado 24 years ago, moose are thriving in many parts of the state, and elk hunters should know the difference between these two ungulates. A hunter who mistakes a bull moose for a bull elk can be fined more than $11,000.
There’s no excuse really, since the animals are vastly different in size, color, horn shape and habits. The Shiras moose is the smallest of four sub-species, and much smaller than an Alaska moose, but a mature bull still weighs 1,200 pounds - about twice as much as the average bull elk. Moose are dark brown and appear almost black. Elk are light brown - a bull can be almost golden - with a pale yellow rump.
A moose has a very large, long nose and a “bell” under the throat, compared with the relatively narrow snout of an elk. A mature bull moose also has broad, flat antlers with paddles, unlike the pointed antlers of an elk. But the antlers on some young bull moose have not flattened out yet, so hunters need to look over the entire animal before pulling the trigger.
The largest member of the deer family, moose have adapted to a variety of habitats. They favor abundant willows along streams and ponds, but “ridge runners” also forage in areas of lodgepole pine, oakbrush, aspen, spruce, fir and even sagebrush - in other words, wherever elk can be found.
Moose act very differently, however, when approached by humans. Typically, moose will not flee like elk at the sight of a hunter, which makes them easier to kill. So if it sees you and doesn’t run, it’s probably a moose.
Despite these readily apparent differences, every hunting season brings a number of illegal moose kills. Circumstances vary from mistaken identity by hunters to blatant poaching. And the common denominator in most accidental kills is the absence of optical aids, such as binoculars or spotting scope, to properly identify the species.
The Division of Wildlife stresses that the accidental killing of a moose does not necessarily lead to prosecution, and may not count as part of the hunter’s bag limit if he or she reports the incident promptly and takes care of the meat. Officers will conduct an investigation to determine if the kill is accidental - i.e. unintentionally taking wildlife that is not due to carelessness or negligence - and a hunter who field dresses the animal will be looked at more favorably than one who doesn’t.
But anyone who shoots a moose legally or illegally and takes only part of the animal, or walks away and leaves the carcass to spoil, will have the book thrown at them. The Division’s chief law enforcement officer, John Bredehoft, points out that it is illegal to waste meat, as is poaching, and those who try to conceal evidence of an illegal kill or flee the scene without reporting it can expect no mercy.
The first moose to reach Colorado, 12 from Utah, were planted in the North Park region near Walden in 1978. The next year, another dozen were released in the Illinois River drainage. Some of these moose moved into the Laramie River Valley and, in 1987, an additional 12 animals were brought in from Wyoming. By 1991, the North Park population was doing so well that some of those moose were moved to the upper Rio Grande drainage near Creede.
Continued supplementation with moose from Wyoming and Utah brought the Creede herd to about 100 animals by 1993.
Statewide, the number of moose in Colorado was estimated at 1,175 after last year’s hunting season. John Ellenberger, the Division’s big game manager, says all but the Creede herd are at or near objective. The biggest herd in North Park has expanded its range into Middle Park, and some moose have even made their way to the eastern rim of Grand Mesa, where the Division has been conducting a habitat study to assess the feasibility of future moose plantings.
Moose have an uncanny ability to wander where least expected. They have been spotted near Cripple Creek, Salida, Westcliffe, Gunnison, Hayden, Steamboat Springs and Summit County. One was seen near the Eisenhower Tunnel on heavily traveled Interstate 70 and another made its way into downtown Craig.
“Given the behavior that moose exhibit, we’ll eventually have them all over the state,” says Ellenberger.
The Colorado Wildlife Commission began issuing a limited number of moose hunting licenses in 1985. In the first six years, when the number of licenses ranged from three to seven, there were more illegal or accidental kills of moose than the legal harvest. But the number of moose hunting licenses increased substantially in 1992, and the kill ratio has gone up exponentially since then.
Last year, 133 moose licenses were issued, and 102 moose were legally killed, a success rate of 84 percent. There also were 12 cases of illegal killing or wounding, with only two of the perpetrators apprehended.
One hunter who turned himself in said he came across the animal bedded down, and didn’t take the time to determine if it was a moose or an elk. He said he saw large spikes with antler points and fired almost immediately “to keep it from running away.” It turned out to be a moose with a 40-inch spread, for which he didn’t have a license.
Another non-resident hunter with a moose license killed a bull in the wrong game unit. He did not turn himself in, and was only caught after taking the head to a taxidermist in Colorado Springs. He was charged with wasting game meat, hunting without a license, illegal possession of moose and violating the Sampson Law. Even with a plea bargain, he paid $2,100 in fines and $5,000 in restitution to the state.
This year, 115 licenses were issued for the three moose seasons - archery Sept. 7-29, muzzleloading Sept. 14-22 and rifle Oct. 1-9. Despite the traditionally high success rate that moose hunters enjoy in Colorado, Ellenberger projects a post-hunt population of 1,260.
Year, Licenses Issued, Legal Harvest, Illegal/Accidental Kills
1985 5 3 5
1986 3 3 5
1987 3 3 4
1988 3 3 1
1989 5 5 14
1990 5 5 15
1991 7 7 11
1992 62 57 21
1993 114 101 19
1994 112 92 15
1995 128 104 26
1996 114 90 18
1997 108 75 16
1998 79 54 36
1999 80 56 20
2000 85 64 9
2001 133 102 12
Division of Wildlife
