San Luis Moose

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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GeezerClimber
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San Luis Moose

Post by GeezerClimber »

We climbed San Luis Tuesday which was a fabulous day BTW. Moose are numerous in Stewart creek and we ran into a very large bull on the way up at close range. He had a cow and a young one in his group. On the way down, we ran into another group. Another climber had stopped and informed us the bull had chased, antlers down, for a short distance. He had attempted to pass by and got too close. Keep your eyes and ears open. IMO, I'd rather run into a bear than a moose on the trail.
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mountainrev
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Re: San Luis Moose

Post by mountainrev »

If that dog was getting close to the moose, it's no wonder he chased. Moose HATE dogs. If there are moose in the area and you're hiking with your dog, please keep it leashed and keep far away from the moose.
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GeezerClimber
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Re: San Luis Moose

Post by GeezerClimber »

mountainrev wrote:If that dog was getting close to the moose, it's no wonder he chased. Moose HATE dogs. If there are moose in the area and you're hiking with your dog, please keep it leashed and keep far away from the moose.
The dog was running from the moose and that was not the one that chased the other climber. No dogs involved in that incident.

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Re: San Luis Moose

Post by eskermo »

Two weekends ago High_On_Thin_Air and I encountered some moose (mooses, meese??) at Stewart Creek as well. On the drive in that evening, we saw a huge bull moose running down the road ahead of us no more than a mile from the trailhead. On our way down San Luis the next morning, I saw a momma moose off the trail in the trees staring at me no more than 30-40 feet away. She proceeded to empty her stomach and bladder while staring at me. As I started walking away I kept looking over my shoulders to make sure nothing was coming after us, and I saw that she was standing right there with her calf. We figured we should probably get out of there as fast as possible just in case the bull was nearby and thought we might be trying to mess with the calf. They were beautiful! I guess this might be prime moose viewing season in the eastern San Juans... get out there if ya haven't seen one!
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Re: San Luis Moose

Post by High_On_Thin_Air »

Those moose we (eskermo and I) saw were just incredible to see in the wild, especially since I've never seen anything that large so close. Just breathtaking! Made my week. The peak was pretty awesome too, for being an easy walk-up, and being socked-in at the summit with clouds, it was still quite rewarding. Felt extremely wild and isolated. Saw one other person the entire trip!
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markhingston
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Re: San Luis Moose

Post by markhingston »

Moose in the wild are a thrill, but dangerous. The Stewart Creek Trail runs very close to the creek and the willows they call home. On Aug. 31, after about 15 minutes of hiking, I was surprised to see a young bull not 20 feet from the trail. (He was still sipping his morning coffee, so I just nodded and kept walking.) This is one trail where you want to be awake as you set off in the morning.
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GeezerClimber
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Re: San Luis Moose

Post by GeezerClimber »

High_On_Thin_Air wrote:Those moose we (eskermo and I) saw were just incredible to see in the wild, especially since I've never seen anything that large so close. Just breathtaking! Made my week. The peak was pretty awesome too, for being an easy walk-up, and being socked-in at the summit with clouds, it was still quite rewarding. Felt extremely wild and isolated. Saw one other person the entire trip!
You should go back on a clear day. Here's just a taste of what you missed. We saw a total of six moose, the most I've ever seen on a hike.
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Mark A Steiner
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Re: San Luis Moose

Post by Mark A Steiner »

Just curious: other than natural increases in population and apparent lack of predation, how did all these moose suddenly appear in such numbers in so many places in Colorado? Is anyone aware of any recent efforts to populate (or repopulate) moose species throughout the state?
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GeezerClimber
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Re: San Luis Moose

Post by GeezerClimber »

Mark A Steiner wrote:Just curious: other than natural increases in population and apparent lack of predation, how did all these moose suddenly appear in such numbers in so many places in Colorado? Is anyone aware of any recent efforts to populate (or repopulate) moose species throughout the state?
They were reintroduced to North Park some years ago and have been spreading. Roach mentions that they were reintroduced to Stewart creek but I don't know if that's true. They have been plentiful in the Lake City area for quite a while. Stewart Creek is moose heaven with countless beaver ponds and abundant willows. They were first reported in our area (Buena Vista) about 7 years ago. We've seen evidence of them for many years but finally saw one this year near Hartenstein lake. I've been told that disease keeps them from spreading southward in the east but evidently that's not a problem in CO, at least not yet. Brown bears feast on calves in Canada and AK keeping them in check.

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Re: San Luis Moose

Post by San Juan Ron »

They were introduced in SW Colorado in the early 1990s (flown in from Utah) and the population has exploded. SJ Ron :)
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Re: San Luis Moose

Post by kbmiller »

Division of Wildlife has been introducing moose in a variety of spots, most recently on Grand Mesa. First spots were Michigan and Illinois rivers in North Park, and then the Laramie River. Introductions in SW colorado were in the Rio Grande valley. Since then their population has expanded mostly due to migration -- there is now a moose season for the White River headwaters (units 12,23, and 24) and South Platte river headwaters (noteably around the old Geneva ski area). I saw moose two years ago on Diamond peak as far NW in colorado as you can get -- right out in the sage. 2012 moose harvest statewide was 92 bulls, 93 cows -- bulls are a once in a lifetime tag, cow tags you can get every 5 years. DOW estimates that there are over 1000 moose in the state, but my guess is there are more.

And by the way, moose meat excellent eating.
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matt pierce
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Re: San Luis Moose

Post by matt pierce »

A loose dog and a moose in the same picture in designated wilderness (LaGarita) ](*,) Do you think that's funny?

Have you heard of principal #6? http://lnt.org/learn/principle-6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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