LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — A hunter was seriously injured after a bull moose attacked him in Larimer County on Tuesday.
Around noon, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office received an alert from a GPS emergency response beacon in the Trap Creek area around Long Draw Road near Poudre Canyon Road (Highway 14). Through the device, the man said he had been seriously injured by an animal, the sheriff's office said.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) said the hunter shot at the moose, but missed. The animal then turned and charged at the man, goring and trampling him.
His injuries were life-threatening, CPW said.
The hunter then activated his emergency beacon to call for help.
He tried to hike out with the help of other passersby when a sheriff's deputy arrived.
The deputy began First Aid on the man and coordinated for a medical helicopter to transport the hunter to a local hospital.
On Thursday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the man "did all the right things before and after the attack to ensure his survival and rescue."
“This was an unfortunate incident, but he was prepared,” CPW Area Wildlife Manager Jason Surface said. “If not for the GPS beacon he activated, he may not have survived. His ability to stay cool after being mangled by a moose, to have that presence of mind is pretty impressive. 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.”
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CPW said it does not plan to try to locate the moose.
This marks the fourth moose attack this year in Colorado. In early June, a man was seriously injured and a woman had minor injuries after a moose charged at them on a trail near Nederland. In late May, a moose trampled a trail runner north of Breckenridge while protecting her newborn.