Trapped: Game and Fish dart and relocate moose

A 2-year-old cow moose found itself stuck in an irrigation ditch June 25 in Saratoga, making it the second moose to do so in the past two years.

The young moose was first spotted in the morning with trouble getting out of the Hugus Ditch, said Tony Mong, a Wyoming Game and Fish biologist.

The moose seemed to be injuring itself, prompting Game and Fish officials to aid in the moose’s escape from the ditch.

“We felt the best thing to do was dart her and get her out of there,” he said.

Game and Fish officials tranquilized the moose several hours later. With the help of some volunteers, the department hauled the moose out of the ditch, into a trailer and relocated the animal to the Medicine Bow National Forest.

Saratoga Game Warden Biff Burton said this is the second time in two years a moose has gotten stuck in the ditch.

“The only other incident I know of is a moose stuck in that area around this same time last year,” Burton said.

Last year, a young bull moose got stuck in the ditch, which was also tranquilized and relocated, Burton said.

“Animals that often have problems with barriers are usually the less healthy ones or are injured,” Burton said. In this case, the moose was just young.

Saratoga resident Lora Patterson, who lives near the Hugus Ditch, said animals frequently get stuck in the ditch.

“For 20 years I lived here, and during the summer we listen for the fawns that fall into the ditch and we go down with flashlights and fish them out,” Patterson said.

Burton said he typically deals with about three to four cases of wildlife getting trapped in the Hugus Ditch a year, usually involving a deer. However, Burton said he doesn’t know what more can be done to make the ditch more accessible.

“These are unfortunate encounters between wildlife and human infrastructure,” he said.

Patterson spoke with Mong on June 25, the day the moose was stuck, about the possibility of putting in some escape routes for wildlife. Mong told Patterson the idea seemed reasonable.

The town of Saratoga does not own the ditch. The actual owner would have final say in the decision.