Beloved moose dies in Minturn, although it’s unclear why
Frequently seen in town over the last month, 'Morty' may have died from starvation or ingesting a toxic substance

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A young bull moose that had been wandering around Minturn since mid-January was found dead near the Game Creek trailhead on Sunday.
Lifelong Minturn resident Jim Gonzales received a call about the 400-pound moose’s death on Sunday night. On Monday morning, Gonzales and Devin Duval, district wildlife manager with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, removed the moose. Gonzales posted about the moose’s death on Facebook, and the post blew up.
While the cause of death is unknown at this time — the body was sent for a necropsy at Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s health lab in Fort Collins, but the results will take time — Gonzales suspects the animal died from either starvation or ingesting something toxic.
“Without knowing how this moose died we can’t say if it could have been preventable or not,” said Rachael Gonzales, Colorado Parks and Wildlife public information officer, in an email to the Vail Daily. “It’s important to remember that animals can die in many ways, whether by natural causes, predation from other animals or something else.”
‘Morty the Minturn Moose’
The moose first showed up in Minturn earlier this month. It seemed to have no problem traversing the town’s main street — it was captured on camera receiving a police escort on Jan. 13 — and spending time in residents’ backyards. The moose’s behavior was, by Jim Gonzales and Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s account, normal. “It was safe. It slept in people’s yards. I hope nobody fed it,” Gonzales said.

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Some Minturn residents had even given the large mammal a name, according to Gonzales: Morty the Minturn Moose.
Gonzales believes the moose, which was about a year and a half old, was one of two calves he spotted last year in Cross Creek accompanied by their mother.
“What happens this time of year and a little later, the cow will actually kick them out because it’s going to have another baby,” he said. “We think that might have been what happened.”
Instead of staying near Cross Creek, where it had access to an abundance of food resources, or at least heading away from town, the young moose wound up in Minturn, where food resources and open space were limited and humans abounded.
Though exciting for people, when moose become as comfortable living around humans as this one did, it can be a “death sentence” for the animal, Gonzales said. “Once an animal habituates itself to a place, there’s not a lot to do for it. … It gets used to people. Maybe they get fed or they feel safe.”
Having a moose living so close to people is also unsafe for humans. Moose “have very few enemies, they’re strong and they don’t put up with anything,” Gonzales said. “It’s actually a very dangerous animal. It is definitely more dangerous than a bear.”
While an “incredibly beautiful animal,” moose are far less fearful than elk or deer, and have been known to injure and kill humans, Gonzales said. “They don’t get out of your way. They won’t run away from you. … They need to be respected at a distance. Never, ever approach a moose or any wildlife, especially a moose.”
“It’s important to remember that we live and recreate in areas where wildlife live as well and it is essential to treat wild animals, such as moose, elk, and deer, with respect,” said Rachael Gonzales. “This means giving them space, especially during the winter months when they are more vulnerable due to high energy demands, low temperatures, and scarce food.”

While the moose in Minturn did seem to be making an attempt to leave town, heading in the direction of Game Creek, it died before it was able to leave.
Jim Gonzales pointed out how the position the moose was found in likely indicates its cause of death. “You can see where it (was) trying to eat on those bushes and it just fell over dead. Nobody shot it, nobody harassed it. It’s just something toxic or starving to death,” he said.
“My thought is probably something toxic for it to just fall over dead like that,” Gonzales said. “I’ve seen starving animals die, and it’s an ugly, ugly thing. They’re laying down. They can’t move. They’re lethargic. And this moose was standing when it fell over dead.”
This is not Minturn’s first brush with a dead moose in recent years. A moose died in Minturn in January 2023 after it attempted to jump over the cemetery’s fence and became impaled on the metal bars. Gonzales, who also participated in the removal of that moose, said he did not think there was any connection between the two incidents.
A separate moose spent most of last winter in EagleVail. Gonzales said that was not the moose that died in Minturn, which would have been a calf last winter.
Minturn lies within natural moose habitat, so this will likely not be the town’s last encounter with the animals.
“To ensure their safety — and yours — take simple actions such as moving slowly and quietly near wildlife, refraining from approaching them or slowing down to get a photo if you see them near a road or close to the trail. Most importantly keep your dog on a leash,” said Rachael Gonzales. “Additionally, if you notice that a trailhead or parking lot is full, consider looking for alternate trails to enjoy your recreational activities.”
Highlands parcel open house
In his Facebook post about the moose’s death, Jim Gonzales mentioned one more thing: The town of Minturn’s open house on the potential uses for the Highlands parcels of land, which it acquired last year in a settlement with Battle North.
From 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Minturn Town Hall, Minturn will host an open house about the potential development of the Highlands parcels. The town is also offering a survey, open through Friday to residents and non-residents, with questions about how the land should be used.
In 2024, the town took ownership of several parcels of land on the north side of town near Tigiwon Road by the planned Bolts Lake Reservoir. The town has proposed using two of the parcels, totaling almost 55 acres of land, to generate revenue to fund the cost of constructing a much-needed new water treatment plant. Another option proposed by the town is to use the parcels as open space. “Any land use option that includes the conservation of land for open space and/or public access and recreation is assumed to include seasonal closures for wildlife protection,” the town’s survey said.
Gonzales said he will be attending the open house to share his opinion, which is to leave the parcels completely undeveloped, including for recreation.
“That Highlands area is a major migration route,” Gonzales said. “The only way those animals can move out of there (from above Tigiwon Road) is to come across Tigiwon Road and right down to the beaver ponds. They can’t migrate down straight north because it’s just straight up cliff.”
Elk, deer and other animals move through the Highlands parcels and then disperse throughout the county, Gonzales said. “If you could imagine multi-million dollar, 20, 30 homes there, right smack in the middle of a migration route. Those animals are dead,” he said.
“Minturn does need the money. They really do, to save that water plant. But … there’s got to be another way,” Gonzales said.