Death Of Mother Moose In Lake City Sparks Investigation

LAKE CITY, Colo. (CBS4) -- An investigation is underway in a mountain community after a female moose with two calves was killed. Some residents in Lake City were upset, saying the moose had been a regular in the area for more than a decade.

Steve and Linda McCormick have been following and photographing moose in the area for years. They say this moose had grown comfortable in the area.

While they don't know whether the kill was legal, they compared it to shooting a horse in a corral.

"Legitimate hunters, we are OK with. What has really upset everyone around Lake City, hunters included, is that this was basically an easy kill," Linda McCormick said. "And this isn't the only one, there have been a couple of bull moose taken in the same way."

The McCormicks say wildlife officers are investigating whether the moose was killed legally.