LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials say houndsmen and their tracking dogs were deployed after a woman was found dead along the Crosier Mountain Trail on New Year’s Day, in what investigators believe was a suspected, rare fatal mountain lion attack.
According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the incident was reported at approximately 12:15 p.m. Thursday, when hikers encountered a woman lying on the trail in a remote area of unincorporated Larimer County. Witnesses reported seeing a mountain lion standing near the victim, which fled after hikers threw rocks at it.
“Officers located one mountain lion at the scene and shot the animal, but it fled the area,” said Kara Van Hoose, Northeast Region public information officer with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Wildlife officers, sheriff’s deputies, and local fire personnel responded and closed the area to the public while initiating a large-scale wildlife response. Due to the rugged terrain and the seriousness of the incident, CPW called in houndsmen trained to work with scent-tracking dogs capable of following mountain lions through snow-covered forest and foothills.
Officers, houndsman, and a local helicopter tracked the mountain lion, and it was euthanized. A short time later, a second mountain lion was found nearby and euthanized. It is unknown if one or multiple animals were involved in the suspected attack. According to CPW policies, wildlife involved in attacks on humans must be euthanized to ensure public safety.
Chris Watson, a houndsman in Navajo County, said the houndsman deployed in the situation was an asset to local officers and the community. “It shows houndsmen, and their dogs are a unique, valuable resource — not just for wildlife management, but for public safety when lives are at risk.”
Necropsies will be conducted on the animals. The Larimer County Coroner’s Office is conducting a separate investigation and has not yet released the victim’s identity or the official cause of death.
Fatal mountain lion attacks are exceedingly rare in Colorado, wildlife officials said.
Mountain lion attacks on humans in Colorado are considered rare, with 28 reported attacks to CPW since 1990. The last fatal attack was in 1999.
Watson said, “In the aftermath of the attack, the houndsman’s work likely saved lives by tracking and helping locate the mountain lions. At the same time, authorities prevented the animal from coming into contact with other hikers, residents, or first responders. In terrain where visibility is limited, and trails remain active even in winter, that rapid response helped ensure the danger did not escalate further.”
