Second area moose release set by DOW

MEEKER I More moose are coming to the White River National Forest.
For the second time in as many years, the Colorado Division of Wildlife will release moose in the White River Forest.
“We will be attempting to bring 20 more moose back to the White River to be released,” said Bill de Vergie, area wildlife manager for the DOW’s Meeker office. “These moose will come from the Walden area. We are planning to start trapping them on Jan. 20 and hope to be completed within two to three days. We will be bringing them back as we catch them and releasing in small groups daily. If weather permits, we will release on the 20th and 21st, but may go into the 22nd.”
Last year, the DOW moved 19 moose from Utah to locations upriver, in the hopes of establishing a bigger moose population in the area.
“They are doing well,” “de Vergie said. “We still have radio collars on six cow moose and are able to follow their movements regularly. We have one cow moose that we released last winter that died several weeks after release. This was the oldest cow we released on the White River and we’re not sure of the cause of death. The remaining moose spread out across the White River Forest better than expected. Survival seems to be real good. Only the one (cow) died that we know. We have confirmed sightings of several of this year’s calves with the cows we released. We have been monitoring the movements of the collared moose, and there was quite a bit of moving this summer and now most seem to have settled into their own area. We are also receiving multiple sightings of moose and calves that are not collared or marked, which tells us the previously existing moose are also doing well. So far, this project is a great success.”