Moose are more common on Peak 9 and Peak 7 at Breckenridge Ski Resort than they are on Peak 8, said resort CEO John Buhler as he described the resort’s plan to handle these encounters.
Responding to a question from Breckenridge Councilwoman Elisabeth Lawrence on Tuesday, Buhler detailed how the ski resort reacts to reports of a moose on the mountain.
“Every situation is different,” he said. “It’s challenging every time because moose are unpredictable, and you want to stay as far away as possible.”
Buhler said the resort will usually start by deploying ski patrol and closing the run to the public while patrol tries to shoo the animal away. Once the moose is out of sight, he continued, they reopen the run.
If that doesn’t work, local agencies can get involved, Buhler said, recalling how last week the resort had a moose near the Mountain Thunder Lodge and called Breckenridge police to help move the animal because of the nature of the location.
“If we need to bring in fish and wildlife or another agency, we will certainly do that,” he added. “The last thing we want to do is have to tranquilize and move them. The first plan of attack is to get skiers off the trails, and let the moose carry on.”
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Lawrence mentioned a recent photograph of people surrounding a moose by the gondola at Breckenridge Ski Resort.
“Yeah, it’s great,” Buhler replied in a sarcastic tone after explaining the resort tries to educate its guests to keep their distance and has posted signage to that effect.