Southernmost moose sighting recorded at Ski Santa Fe

SANTA FE, N.M. – A moose sighting in New Mexico has one community in disbelief. There have been moose sightings this year in places like Questa and Mora, but this one is different for a couple of reasons.

A bull moose that is believed to have traveled south from Colorado. So far south, this guy is now trotting into our history books.

Most of the animals in the vast New Mexico wilderness stay out of sight. 

“And I said to my husband ‘I think that’s a moose!’” said Teresa Ronan. 

That was not the case on Sunday at Ski Santa Fe when the bull moose trotted up Hyde Park Road right near the parking lot.

“My son who’s five, was in the back seat, said ‘I think he looked me right in the eye!’” said Ronan. 

Ronan took video of the encounter.

“To be the individual to capture that, I kind of felt like this might be my week to buy a lottery ticket,” laughed Ronan. 

Dan Clark managed to snap a picture from the car behind Ronan.

“I had a thought that I better get a picture of this moose because if I don’t get a picture of it nobody will believe me!” said Clark. 

Both were heading home after a day on the slopes of Ski Santa Fe. Now, Ski Santa Fe holds a new record.

“This is the southernmost known sighting of a moose in New Mexico,” said Ryan Darr with New Mexico Game and Fish. 

Darr says there have been about a dozen moose sighting in the last decade, including a couple this year. 

“We first reported a moose on the loose up by Questa back in October,” said Darr. “We had a moose on the move down by Mora in November.”

Which prompted New Mexico nature lovers to create the Facebook group “Where’s Marty Moose.”

“We have at least two moose on the loose this year,” said Darr. 

This moose is estimated to be three to four years old and close to 1,000 pounds.  It’s bigger and older than the moose named Marty seen further north.

“Well now we need folks’ help to track two!” Darr said. 

A rare sighting and a memorable day. Now, another moose is somewhere in the Sangre de Cristos.

“I want him to be healthy and happy and have a great moose life,” said Ronan.

Moose were introduced in Colorado in the 1970s and have since occasionally wandered south. But the males can be dangerous. Game and Fish recommends giving them space, slowly backing away if you’re not in a car, and if it comes to it to take cover behind something big.