A Colorado bowhunter was seriously injured in the Poudre Canyon region recently after being attacked by a moose.
The Larimer County Sherriff’s office received an emergency SOS from the hunter’s GPS device indicating that he’d been seriously injured in the attack.
According to a report, the hunter had been bowhunting and shot at a bull moose. However, the shot missed the mark. Instead of running away, the bull turned and charged the hunter, goring him upon impact.
After things settled down and the moose left the scene, the hunter hiked about a mile and a half to the nearest road in search of help. He was helped by a passerby until they flagged down a Sherriff’s deputy. The deputy quickly came on the scene and began providing first aid, as well as a tourniquet to the hunter’s arm. The hunter was later air-lifted to a local hospital due to the severity of his injuries and received treatment in the days following.
Bridget O’Rourke Kochel, information officer with CO Parks & Wildlife, said that wildlife officers have seen an increase in moose attacks across the state in recent years.
Officials encourage anyone encountering a moose while out on a trail to stay calm, stay focused on the moose, and back away slowly to show the moose that you are not a threat. They also remind hunters of the importance of keeping a GPS satellite emergency device, like the Garmin inReach, handy to contact rescue personnel in the event of an emergency.
