A fisherman in Wyoming was charged by a cow moose Saturday on a river in the Bighorn Range. He shot and killed the moose at close range, according to a news release Wednesday from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Officials say the confrontation occurred on the North Tongue River in the Bighorn National Forest in classic moose habitat: a thicket of willows along the river corridor. Although the cow was already dead by the time game wardens arrived, they found two young-of-year calves nearby that they believe the cow was defending when it charged. Both calves were euthanized (as they likely wouldn’t have survived on their own).
“The game wardens interviewed the angler who said he had encountered the moose at close range in thick willows,” the news release reads. “He fired multiple shots at the moose when she became agitated and charged him.”
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It’s unclear what kind of firearm the fisherman used, and WGFD did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. The agency did not mention an investigation into the shooting.
WGFD used the incident to remind anglers and other outdoorsmen to be wary of moose on national forest land, especially in river corridors with thick vegetation, where they like to spend time but can be difficult to spot.
This awareness is even more critical during the spring and early summer, as cow moose typically drop their calves from late May through June in the Northern Rockies. Cows are extra protective of their young during this time, making them more aggressive than usual. They also have a tendency to leave their young in thick vegetation while they graze nearby, which can lead to surprise encounters. WGFD says that for this reason, it’s wise to give any moose you see an extra-wide berth this time of year, and to choose alternative routes when possible.
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Saturday’s close call in the Bighorns also follows a string of similar incidents in Colorado. During a three-day period from May 30 to June 1, officials with Colorado Parks and Wildlife responded to three different moose attacks in three counties. In one incident that took place in Grand Lake, a man shot and killed a cow moose that had knocked down his girlfriend in her yard and was trying to stomp her. And in all three incidents, the people who were charged had dogs with them, which officials say likely played a role in triggering the attacks.
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