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Every time I ski, hike or snowshoe I wonder what I would do if there was a moose standing on the trail around a corner. When I see my dogs raise a paw and stare into the trees, I wonder if a mountain lion is watching us.
I want to know what to do if I see or am chased by wildlife, so I called Kirk Oldham, wildlife biologist for the Division of Wildlife, to see if he would educate me about how to recreate safely in winter. I asked him if we could snowshoe a trail where there is known wildlife so we could talk through how to react.
The week before Kirk and I went on a wildlife adventure, there was a moose in my front yard. I walked slowly to my car, not making eye contact, hoping it would be gone when I got home from work. It was still there that evening but left during the night.
A few days later while running with my dogs (on leash) near the Fraser River in Granby, I saw another one; perhaps the same one. I didn't want to run by it so I altered my route and ended up running farther than planned to avoid the moose.
I had seen my share of moose by the time we drove to Monarch Lake looking for wildlife. Kirk identified animals in the area by their tracks. There were moose, elk, snowshoe hair, ermine, and red squirrels. Studying tracks is a great way to know what's been around and to be aware of potential interactions.
As we snowshoed around Monarch Lake I wanted to know what to do if I came around a turn in the trail and a moose was blocking the trail. How would I know if the moose was going to charge?
He said, “Their ears will go back and hair on their shoulders will rise. Hide behind a rock or tree and if you have dogs let them fend for themselves.”
Kirk talked about critical winter range for larger species such as elk and moose as we drove around Lake Granby and up to Willow Creek Pass on highway 125. Outdoor enthusiasts should recreate at higher elevations or in thicker woods such as the Fraser Experimental Forest since wildlife is staying in valleys and lower elevation for better food supply.
Animals use different habitat at different times of the year so they move to different areas based on the components they need such as food, water, shelter and how these components are arranged. If the arrangement doesn't work for them they move to a different area.
Large game such as elk and deer tend to stay in low sage-filled southern exposure slopes to eat grass. They do not go above tree line or in dense forests. Kirk talked about the importance of seasonal closures in Granby Ranch and North Table Mountain.
Wildlife needs these areas where there is no human disturbance. They are already stressed and burning their winter fat reserves. If they become too stressed and burn all their fat reserves, they may not survive the winter.
Despite not seeing moose, we did see a coyote through binoculars and mule deer ran across the road. A few days after the ride along, two men walked into the Fraser Visitor Center asking where they could see a moose; their ski vacation in Colorado wasn't complete until they saw one. I recommended driving north to Lake Granby looking for one in the sage-filled hills and then taking a hike around Monarch Lake. I hope they found one.
I want to know what to do if I see or am chased by wildlife, so I called Kirk Oldham, wildlife biologist for the Division of Wildlife, to see if he would educate me about how to recreate safely in winter. I asked him if we could snowshoe a trail where there is known wildlife so we could talk through how to react.
The week before Kirk and I went on a wildlife adventure, there was a moose in my front yard. I walked slowly to my car, not making eye contact, hoping it would be gone when I got home from work. It was still there that evening but left during the night.
A few days later while running with my dogs (on leash) near the Fraser River in Granby, I saw another one; perhaps the same one. I didn't want to run by it so I altered my route and ended up running farther than planned to avoid the moose.
I had seen my share of moose by the time we drove to Monarch Lake looking for wildlife. Kirk identified animals in the area by their tracks. There were moose, elk, snowshoe hair, ermine, and red squirrels. Studying tracks is a great way to know what's been around and to be aware of potential interactions.
As we snowshoed around Monarch Lake I wanted to know what to do if I came around a turn in the trail and a moose was blocking the trail. How would I know if the moose was going to charge?
He said, “Their ears will go back and hair on their shoulders will rise. Hide behind a rock or tree and if you have dogs let them fend for themselves.”
Kirk talked about critical winter range for larger species such as elk and moose as we drove around Lake Granby and up to Willow Creek Pass on highway 125. Outdoor enthusiasts should recreate at higher elevations or in thicker woods such as the Fraser Experimental Forest since wildlife is staying in valleys and lower elevation for better food supply.
Animals use different habitat at different times of the year so they move to different areas based on the components they need such as food, water, shelter and how these components are arranged. If the arrangement doesn't work for them they move to a different area.
Large game such as elk and deer tend to stay in low sage-filled southern exposure slopes to eat grass. They do not go above tree line or in dense forests. Kirk talked about the importance of seasonal closures in Granby Ranch and North Table Mountain.
Wildlife needs these areas where there is no human disturbance. They are already stressed and burning their winter fat reserves. If they become too stressed and burn all their fat reserves, they may not survive the winter.
Despite not seeing moose, we did see a coyote through binoculars and mule deer ran across the road. A few days after the ride along, two men walked into the Fraser Visitor Center asking where they could see a moose; their ski vacation in Colorado wasn't complete until they saw one. I recommended driving north to Lake Granby looking for one in the sage-filled hills and then taking a hike around Monarch Lake. I hope they found one.
