Colorado Parks and Wildlife

9/15/2022

Archery hunter injured by moose rescued thanks to emergency beacon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Travis Duncan
Public Information Supervisor
720-595-8294 / travis.duncan@state.co.us

Archery hunter injured by moose rescued thanks to emergency beacon

DENVER - An archery hunter injured by a moose in the Trap Creek area of Larimer County on Tuesday did all the right things before and after the attack to ensure his survival and rescue.

The incident occurred around noon, Tuesday, in a remote area near Long Draw Road.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Area Wildlife Manager Jason Surface said the archery hunter took a shot at a bull moose but the shot missed. The moose turned and charged, goring and trampling the man and inflicting life-threatening injuries.

Luckily, the hunter had brought with him a GPS emergency response beacon which he activated, summoning help. Passers-by helped get the hunter out of the woods and he ultimately was taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital for treatment.

“This was an unfortunate incident, but he was prepared,” Surface said. “If not for the GPS beacon he activated, he may not have survived.”

The hunter also benefited from his ability to stay calm despite his critical injuries.

“His ability to stay cool after being mangled by a moose, to have that presence of mind is pretty impressive,” Surface said. “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.”

CPW will not be taking management action on the moose. Big game animals, especially moose, can be aggressive and unpredictable. And hunting comes with risks, especially bow hunting which requires getting closer to the animal than other forms of hunting.

This is the fourth moose attack of a human in Colorado this year and 13th such attack since 2019. More information on safety and moose behavior is available on CPW’s website.

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CPW is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 42 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.

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Archery hunter injured by moose rescued thanks to emergency beacon