Debate Over Moose Hunting At Brainard Lake Is Reigniting
BRAINARD LAKE RECREATION AREA, Colo. (CBS4) - Moose hunting at Brainard Lake is once again in the spotlight.
This after a group of wildlife watchers say they saw a bull moose killed in front of them last week.
"We are all watching it ... and the next second it's gone, it drops to the ground," Carla Johnson of Boulder said.
Johnson and her group say they were shocked.
"The moose is gone, and there is a hunter standing right there."
Colorado Parks & Wildlife looked into the issue. Spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill said Monday that their investigation proved no bull moose was killed last week.
"To my knowledge there was no bull moose shot at Brainard Lake on this day," Churchill said, and added that the hunter seen shot a cow and not a bull.
The area in question is open to hunters who have one of five moose tags approved for the area.
"Brainard Lake is U.S. Forest Service land and most public lands are huntable," Churchill said.
This isn't the first time this issue has come up. In 2014 a bull moose was killed in front of a group of onlookers at Brainard Lake and triggered so much outrage that officers banned hunting in some areas.
"A quarter of a mile from the middle of the lake, all the way around, to try and minimize conflicts between wildlife watchers and hunters," Churchill said.
But wildlife watchers believe it does not go far enough. Although understanding and accepting of hunting in general, Johnson said it should be limited to areas that people will not be subjected to see animals killed without warning.
"Not only is it a shock to see something killed in front of you, but it's also dangerous," Johnson said.
Colorado Parks & Wildlife said Monday that it may look into increasing signage at Brainard Lake, warning that hunting is permitted.
Mark Taylor is a weekend morning anchor and reporter with CBS4 news covering a wide variety of stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkTaylor_TV.
