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Alaskan-Adventures, Restoration Through Recreation, LLC
General description: Moose are long-legged and
heavy bodied with a drooping nose, a "bell" or dewlap under
the chin, and a small tail. Their color ranges from golden
brown to almost black, depending upon the season and the age
of the animal. The hair of newborn calves is generally
red-brown fading to a lighter rust color within a few weeks.
Newborn calves weigh 28 to 35 pounds (13-16 kg) and within
five months grow to over 300 pounds (136 kg). Males in prime
condition weigh from 1,200 to 1,600 pounds (542-725 kg).
Adult females weigh 800 to 1,300 pounds (364-591 kg). Only
the bulls have antlers. The largest moose antlers in North
America come from Alaska, the Yukon Territory, and the
Northwest Territories of Canada. Trophy class bulls are
found throughout Alaska, but the largest come from the
western portion of the state. Moose occasionally produce
trophy-size antlers when they are 6 or 7 years old, with the
largest antlers grown at approximately 10 to 12 years of
age. In the wild, moose rarely live more than 16 years. Life history: Cow moose generally breed at 28
months, though some may breed as young as 16 months. Calves
are born any time from mid- May to early June after a
gestation period of about 230 days. Cows give birth to twins
15 to 75 percent of the time, and triplets may occur once in
every 1,000 births. The incidence of twinning is directly
related to range conditions. A cow moose defends her newborn
calf vigorously. Calves begin taking solid food a few days after birth.
They are weaned in the fall at the time the mother is
breeding again. The maternal bond is generally maintained
until calves are 12 months old at which time the mother
aggressively chases her offspring from the immediate area
just before she gives birth. Moose breed in the fall with the peak of the "rut"
activities coming in late September and early October. Adult
males joust during the rut by bringing their antlers
together and pushing. Serious battles are rare. Bulls may
receive a few punctures or other damage and occasionally die
from their wounds. The winner usually mates with the female.
By late October, adult males have exhausted their summer
accumulation of fat and their desire for female company.
Once again they begin feeding. Antlers are shed as early as
November, but mostly in December and January. Food habits: During fall and winter, moose consume
large quantities of willow, birch, and aspen twigs. In some
areas, moose actually establish a "hedge" or browse line 6
to 8 feet above the ground by clipping most of the terminal
shoots of favored food species. Spring is the time of
grazing as well as browsing. Moose eat a variety of foods,
particularly sedges, equisetum (horsetail), pond weeds, and
grasses. During summer, moose feed on vegetation in shallow
ponds, forbs, and the leaves of birch, willow, and aspen.
Movements: Most moose make seasonal movements for
calving, rutting, and wintering areas. They travel anywhere
from only a few miles to as many as 60 miles during these
transitions. Population dynamics: Moose have a high
reproductive potential and can quickly fill a range to
capacity if not limited by predation, hunting, and severe
weather. Deep crusted snow can lead to malnutrition and
subsequent death of hundreds of moose and decrease the
survival of the succeeding year's calves. Moose are killed by wolves
and black and brown bears.
Black bears take moose calves in May and June. Brown bears
kill calves and adults the entire time the bears are out of
their winter dens. Wolves kill moose throughout the year.
Predation limits the growth of many moose populations in
Alaska. Hunting: More people hunt moose than any other of
Alaska's big game species. Economic and future status: Because moose range
over so much of Alaska, they have played an important role
in the development of the state. At one time professional
hunters supplied moose meat to mining camps. Historically,
moose were an important source of food, clothing, and
implements to Athapaskan Indians dwelling along the major
rivers. Today, Alaskans and nonresidents annually harvest
approximately 6,000 to 8,000 moose—some 3.5 million pounds
of meat. Moose are an important part of the Alaskan
landscape, and tourists photograph those animals that feed
along the highway. Man's developments in Alaska include many alterations
upon the face of the land. These activities create conflicts
between man and moose as moose eat crops, stand on
airfields, eat young trees, wander the city streets, and
collide with cars and trains. Man's removal of mature timber through logging and
careless use of fire has, in general, benefited moose as new
stands of young timber have created vast areas of
high-quality moose food. The future for moose is reasonably
bright because man is learning how to manipulate habitat
with wildfire and is becoming more skilled at managing
factors that limit moose populations, such as predation and
hunting. Revised by Charles C. Schwartz and reprinted 1994
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