Naturalist’s Notebook By Judy Silverberg MOOSE © ROGER IRWIN PHOTO © ROGER IRWIN Moose (Alces alces)

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Though most bulls are ready to breed at about Member of the Cervidae or hoofed 11/2 years of age they usually have to wait until mammal family. Majestic they’re 5 or 6 years old because of competition IDENTIFICATION: Adult avrg. weight 1,000 lbs., 6 ft. from other bulls. tall at the shoulder. Bulls – dark brown or black muzzle; cow’s face Moose is light brown. One of the most striking things about bull RANGE: On the move in moose at this time of year is their antlers. It’s In North America: Canada, Alaska hard to believe that these large structures last and across the northern U.S. from North Dakota and the Rocky Mnts. search of mates less than a year; they start growing in March, (so. to Utah and Colorado), to no. only to be shed after the mating season is over New England. he hike up Hedgehog Mountain was beauti- in late December and January, or even as late HABITAT: ful on an early October day. The colors and Mixed hardwoods, softwoods and T as the following March, depending on the age wetlands. views were spectacular. As I neared the end of of the animal (mature bulls cast their antlers off REPRODUCTION: the trail, I noticed evidence of moose activity earlier). The animal in front of me had a rack Breeding occurs from Sept. to late Oct. Young (1, rarely 2) are born in the area — tracks, piles of moose pellets and that spanned at least six feet, with broad flat late may to early June. several small trees with leaves and bark rubbed areas called “palms.” Antlers grow out of a knob FOOD: off. Rounding the bend in a wetland area, I at the top of the skull called a pedicle. When Summer: feeds on leaves of de- stopped short. On the right of the trail stood they first start to grow, antlers look like little ciduous trees, shrubs, semiaquatic and aquatic vegetation. Winter: a magnificent bull (male) moose. Backing up nubs that have a fuzzy covering known as velvet. buds, new growth of deciduous slowly, I edged behind some rocks and trees They are a mass of nerves and blood vessels that trees, shrubs and balsalm fir. and sat down to watch. continued on next page

Wildlife Journal 1 MOOSE

is eventually replaced by calcium and other minerals. Once this replacement has hap- pened, moose rub the velvet off by scraping their antlers on small trees. Late Septem- ber through October is mating season for moose, called the rut.

© NHF&G PHOTO Bull moose compete Up to 5 ½” in length, the adult for dominance, so moose track is an unmistakable generally males don’t sign in the wild. breed until they are 5 or 6 years old. Bulls will defend a cow © JIM BLOCK PHOTO they are pursuing by Moose suffer an average of 240 collisions with driving off younger bulls, but cows also have a automobiles each year. Drive carefully and say in choosing a mate. Sparring matches occur “brake for moose, it could save your life!” when the opponents are evenly matched or a young bull is bold enough to test its strength. sects. Moose are often seen along roadsides in Other male moose behaviors at this time of year places where roadside runoff accumulates salt. include creating scrapes by pawing the ground, Male moose need salt for growing their antlers, which lays down a scent from glands located and female moose need it for lactation. on the lower legs; wallowing by urinating in the Moose may live more than 20 years in the scrape and rolling in it; and making a grunting wild, but very rarely. In areas with few preda- sound to call a cow. Another sound bull moose tors, they often succumb to osteoporosis and make is bellowing, a sign of high anxiety that is arthritis, usually in their early to mid-teens. rarely heard, done during the rut to intimidate Black bears are significant predators on moose another bull. Both bulls and cows travel more calves until the calves are about nine weeks old during this time of year in pursuit of a mate. and can outmaneuver a bear. Coyotes also will Females (cows) can breed at 1 ½ years. occasionally kill a calf. Collisions with automo- They often give birth, at age two, to a single biles are another major threat. Moose can also calf, though twinning can occur at this age and die from a severe infestation of winter ticks. A is a good indicator of habitat quality. Twins are parasite known as brainworm may cause death more common after a cow reaches age four. in moose. White-tailed deer carry this para- Calves are born in late May or early June, site, although they are not affected by it. The weighing 20-25 pounds. They are red brown in parasite passes from deer feces to land snails to color, with no spots. By fall, calves weigh 300- the moose, which ingest the snail while feeding 400 pounds. on browse. Moose are strictly a northern animal, After what seemed like an hour, this six- preferring cooler temperatures and softwood foot-at-the-shoulder, thousand-pound animal forest interspersed with some hardwoods, sniffed the wind. On the other side of the semi-open areas, swamps or lakes that provide swamp, a cow appeared and then quickly disap- aquatic plants for food. Moose is an Algonquin peared. The bull turned in her direction and term for “eater of twigs.” They are primarily slowly made his way into the woods after her. browsers feeding on leaves, twigs and buds of I, too, turn and make my way down the trail, hardwood and softwood trees and shrubs. A happy that my autumn hike had turned into a healthy moose will eat 40-60 pounds of browse moose-watching marathon. daily. In the summer, moose feed heavily on sodium-rich aquatic plants. The cows also pre- Collect Naturalist’s Notebook fer to keep their calves near water as an escape Readers may want to collect N.H. wildlife profiles by cutting this page out and collecting them in a notebook. route. Ponds also are used by both sexes to cool A different species will be featured in each issue. off and to avoid moose flies and other pesky in-