Human food kills RFL moose

By Stephen Clearheart Johnson
North Forty News

An ailing moose does not go unnoticed in Red Feather Lakes. Especially when its death is grimly public and foul play may be involved.

In early June, residents near Snake Lake reported a moose acting disoriented and lethargic. A few days later, residents near Prairie Divide Road and County Road 74E reported a moose caught in a pasture and unable to find its way out.

District Wildlife Officer Jim Jackson investigated. He saw what he thought was an older bull moose looking worn and lethargic, but still moving and eating. As it turned out, the animal was only 2 years old.

Neighbors helped Jackson open a gate and the moose ambled off into the woods. Jackson considered tranquilizing the moose and calling in the wildlife veterinarians, but knew that moose do not respond well to tranquilizers.

On June 4, neighbors near Shagwa Lake called the DOW to report a moose in the lake, acting like it couldn't get out. They thought it unusual that the presence of humans did not scare the moose.

The next morning they reported that the moose had been walking in circles in the shallow water. Jackson knew this was not a good sign. Large animals often walk in circles if they are blind.

Later that day the moose was reported floating dead in the lake. Jackson recovered the carcass and shipped it to a Colorado State University lab for necropsy, which determined the animal was suffering from hemorrhagic enteritis and acidosis. The animal bled to death internally. Its intestines were filled with grain, probably corn.

"It is illegal to feed wild game, and there is a reason for it," said Jackson. Ungulates such as moose, deer and elk cannot digest grain, he explained.

Jackson noted that the moose might have gained access to a grain bin intended for horses, or it might have fed off grain put out to entice the animal to come close for a photo opportunity by some well-meaning human.

Feeding wild animals is "a death sentence," said Jackson. "We get by with it for birds and chipmunks, but there can be a toll with that, too."

Feeding animals attracts a concentration of them, which in turn attracts a concentration of predator species. He also noted that birds are susceptible to botulism, which can be spread by dropped feed mixed with bird feces. "Move the feeder often, or keep the area clean," he advised.

Jackson has a special bond with moose. He was instrumental in reintroducing moose to the Laramie River Valley several decades ago, bringing them from Cody, Wyo., in a horse trailer. He has been the wildlife district officer for the Division of Wildlife in the Red Feather Lakes area for 37 years.

"Moose are the unluckiest of animals," said Jackson. Bulls fight and can wound or kill each other. Hooves can get caught in tree forks, or legs broken when tangled in barbed wire, and calves can get caught in fences.