A man was injured Friday morning when he was attacked by a moose near Jackson while walking his dog, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
The man was walking his dog on the bike path northeast of the Wilson Elementary School in Wilson around 7:15 a.m. on Friday when he noticed a bull moose approximately 50 yards away. His dog was at his side when the bull decided to charge him and knocked him down.
The man was admitted to the hospital for his injuries. Game and Fish officials received the report Saturday and promptly responded to the scene, but did not see the moose in the area.
While human injuries from moose are not common, Game and Fish officials are warning people that it is now the fall mating season for moose, elk and other ungulates and to give wildlife plenty of room.
Moose and elk are relatively common throughout the Jackson Hole valley, but especially along the Snake River corridor and slopes of the Teton Range, including residential areas associated with the towns of Wilson, Teton Village and Jackson.
The Jackson Game and Fish office commonly receives an increased number of calls this time of year regarding wildlife in residential areas, especially moose and bears.
Wildlife officials offer the following advice on how to avoid a conflict with these animals:
- Do not feed wildlife.
- Be especially watchful during times of low light. Moose and other animals can be difficult to see at night.
- Look for fresh signs of wildlife, such as tracks or scat on trails, pathways, or around houses.
- Never crowd or surround an animal and always allow the animal an escape route.
- Always control pets while walking them and make sure there are no wildlife around before letting animals out of the house.
- View and photograph animals from a distance.
- Carry and know how to use bear pepper spray as a defense.
Moose attacks have been regularly reported over this summer. Incidents involving, moose, people and dogs have been a fairly common occurrence, happening multiple times in Colorado.
A Boulder, Colorado, woman was attacked by a moose in August after literally walking into it near Winter Park, Colorado. The moose reportedly attacked the woman twice. She said the second time, she played dead and the animal left.
An older New Mexico man was attacked in August by a bull moose while running with his two dogs on a trail in central Colorado.
An elderly woman was severely injured late in mid-August while dog-sitting when she was stomped by a cow moose in western Colorado.
In June, Shoshone National Forest officials warned of an aggressive cow moose seen around Sinks Canyon.
An elderly man was stomped by a moose in Colorado in late May. The victim stated that his small dog was outside unleashed when he heard it start barking and realized there was a moose in the area. He stepped forward to grab the dog, which is when the moose charged him.
