Moose are occasionally seen in the Silverton and Lake City area. Now, they seem to be taking a liking to the Dolores and San Miguel river basins.
Lori Shields and Michael Chihocky, of Cortez, were pleasantly surprised during a recent fishing trip to Priest Lake, near Lizard Head Pass.
"While we were on the trail, a bull moose wandered out of the woods to feed on stuff in the lake," she said. "It was the first moose I'd ever seen in the wild."
The couple watched the moose for 45 minutes as it fed, and said it seemed calm.
"It let us take pictures, and just kind of ignored us," she said. "Then it casually returned to the thick woods."
There are an estimated 2,300 moose in Colorado, and they are thriving in the lush river basins, said Joe Lewandowski, a spokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
"It's not surprising they are being seen over there, the marshy lakes and river corridors with willows are perfect habitat for them," he said. "We've had reports of them in the Dolores River and Telluride area."
Moose populations are spreading out from the Gunnison, Creede and Lake city areas, with males dispersing to look for new territory.
Moose were introduced to the state in the 1970s, and populations are healthy enough to allow limited hunting tags for them.
Lewandowski warns that moose can be unpredictable and suddenly aggressive, especially if there are dogs around.
"They see a dog as a wolf, it's only predator, so it could trigger aggressive behavior," he said. "View from a distance and do not approach them. If a moose starts to act nervous, it's time to leave. Keep dogs on a leash or leave them in the car or at home."
Moose are hearty, solitary animals that don't migrate much, and don't seem to mind the snow. They prefer thick timber and feed along shorelines and on vegetation under shallow water.
"We've been to Priest Lake a million times, but we never had a moose show up," Shields said. "It was pretty cool."
jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com