Higgins was dispatched to the lake thanks to a passerby who saw the moose break through the ice and called it in. Higgins asked for backup, and was quickly joined by a pair of forest rangers.

Burgoyne got lucky on January 12 while visiting Plaster Rock when he spotted three bull moose in the snowy forest — two who had already dropped their antlers and one with its antlers still intact.

Colorado State Forest State Park, near Walden, is also home to more than 600 moose, which can be viewed year-round. Start at the Moose Visitor Center, where moose-seekers can take a virtual tour ...