Moose Knocks Down, Stamps on Man Walking His Dogs in Colorado

A man enjoying a morning walk in Colorado on Monday had little to no time to react when he came face-to-face with a moose that proceeded to trample him repeatedly.

The man, in his late 50s, was walking his two dogs along a trail in Colorado's Coal Creek Canyon, just to the west of Denver and Boulder, when the moose attacked.

The man had turned a corner on the path and had surprised a mother with her calf, according to a report by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

"The moose charged and knocked the man down, stomping him several times," CPW said in the report.

Moose are huge species of deer, native to North America. Colorado's Shiras moose subspecies can weigh between 800 to 1,200 pounds, and stand up to 6 feet at the shoulder, the CPW website explains. There are around 3,000 of the animals across the state, mostly as a result of dogged reintroduction efforts by the CPW.

These enormous creatures will only attack when threatened or afraid, especially if the moose is a mother with a young, or if they are startled by the presence of a dog. Calves are usually born during a three-to-four-week period from the end of May to mid-June, making it a prime time for protective female moose to act aggressively.

Attacks by moose are more common than those by bears and wolves combined, but these attacks often result in minor injuries.

The CPW has recorded at least 15 moose conflicts since 2013, all but two of which occurred due to the moose being surprised by a dog present. Moose will react to dogs by attempting to crush them with their hooves, as they would for a predatory wolf. The CPW advises keeping dogs on a leash to avoid them surprising a moose in the wild, and in the case of a charging moose, to "run as fast as you can and try to put a large object between you such as a boulder, car or tree."

The Coal Creek Canyon man fired two shots from his gun into the ground to startle and deter the moose, causing the mother and young to leave the area. He went to the hospital after the incident, but neither he nor his dogs were severely injured.

"CPW encourages hikers to avoid thick willow habitat in riparian areas, where moose like to eat and rest, to decrease chances of moose interactions. CPW urges dog owners to keep their dogs leashed while hiking, and give moose extra space on trails," the report reads.

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