Denver ? Introduced to Colorado 24 years ago, moose are thriving in many parts of the state and often are confused for elk.

A hunter who mistakes a bull moose for a bull elk can be fined more than $11,000.

This is a mistake that should not be made, being that the animals are vastly different in size, color, horn shape and habits.

Moose are dark brown and appear almost black. Elk are light brown – a bull can be almost golden – with a pale yellow rump.

A moose has a very large, long nose and a “bell” under the throat, compared to the relatively narrow snout of an elk. A mature bull also has broad, flat antlers with paddles unlike the pointed antlers of an elk.

But the antlers on some young bull moose have not flattened out yet, so hunters need to look over the entire animal before pulling the trigger.

The largest member of the deer family, moose have adapted to a variety of habitats. They favor abundant willows along streams and ponds, but “ridge runners” also forage in areas of lodgepole pine, oakbrush, aspen, spruce fir and even sagebrush – in other words, where elk can be found.

They act very differently, however, when approached by humans. Typically, moose will not flee like elk at the sight of a hunter.

Despite these readily apparent differences, every hunting season brings a number of illegal moose kills. Circumstances vary from mistaken identity by hunters to blatant poaching. And the common denominator in most accidental kills is the absence of optical aids, such as binoculars or spotting scope.

Accidental killing of a moose does not necessarily lead to prosecution and may not count as part of the hunter’s bag limit if he or she reports the incident promptly and takes care of the meat.

Officers will conduct an investigation to determine if the kill is accidental – i.e. unintentionally taking wildlife that is not due to carelessness or negligence – and a hunter who field dresses the animal will be looked at more favorably than one who doesn’t.

This year 156 moose licenses are being issued for the three moose seasons – archery Sept. 10-25, muzzleloading Sept. 10-18 and rifle Oct. 1-9.