A Wildernest local is shocked and saddened to learn a hunter likely harvested a female moose near the Salt Lick trail system.
On Facebook the woman says it happened within sight of the Forest Service road there, which is easily accessed from nearby homes.
Hunting at Salt Lick is unusual, but it is not illegal with a valid tag. The area is public land and there are no nearby campgrounds where hunting is outlawed.
Hundreds are commenting on the Facebook post, some agreeing with her outrage, others defending the hunter. Several others say it could have been a mountain lion or another predator.
CPW has not confirmed if this kill was a hunter. But we will know soon: Hunters are required to repot moose harvest within five business days.
Moose are some of the most highly regulated big-game animals in Colorado, along with mountain goats and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. For example, you are limited to one antlered male moose in your lifetime.
According to reports, this situation is very different from a poaching incident on Quandary peak in 2018, when a pair of mountain goats were shot point-blank with a handgun. The poachers did not have hunting tags.
“In a lot of our cases, the crime happens far away from the eyes of officers and the people,” CPW told the Summit Daily. “That’s why, like any law enforcement agency, we need any tip we can get, no matter how inconsequential. It’s the little, tiny details that breaks a case wide open; a passing comment, bar talk, a social media post, anything.”
Rifle season for moose is now through October 14. CPW awarded 25 tags for the Summit game unit. 395 people applied.
As for safety concerns, CPW recommends everyone wear blaze orange on trails and in the forest this time of year. Hunters, know your zones.