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The North American Moose

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Moose Facts and Fun Stuff

The moose is one of the largest animals in North America. Living in the forest and lake regions of the northern United States and up into Canada, moose inhabit woodlands near rivers, streams, ponds and marshes.

The largest member of the deer family, a fully-grown bull moose stands nearly 7 feet tall at the shoulder and can weigh over 1500 pounds.

Image: Public Domain (fws.gov)

Herbivores, moose eat a wide variety of plants. Moose are browsers, using their height to their advantage as they reach up into the trees and shrubs in search of leaves and tender twigs. Despite their large size, they move easily through the thick underbrush and deadfall of the northern forests as they forage for food. In areas where logging is prevalent, moose will wonder along the dirt roads, browsing on the young willows and other small trees that sprout up after the loggers have moved on.

Moose are also at home in the water where they feed on marshy and aquatic plants, and they are excellent swimmers. Often seen standing in deep water, moose will reach down under the water to feed on submerged plants. They use the cool waters to escape from the heat of summer, and to escape from biting flies and pesky mosquitoes.

A bull moose is instantly recognizable, and spotting a large bull moose with its huge rack of antlers is an impressive sight and a memorable experience. With a spread of almost 6 feet across, only the bull moose grows a set of antlers. Starting in early spring, the antlers grow quickly throughout the summer under a covering of soft, blood-fill velvet. As fall approaches, the antlers begin to harden and the bulls scrape off the velvet coating to reveal their new bony antlers.

During the autumn rut, the big bulls use their expansive antlers to battle against the other males to gain the favor of the female moose. Often, just the sight of a large bull in his prime and sporting a huge rack of antlers is enough intimidation to ward off lesser males without a fight. During the breeding season, only the superior bulls succeed in attracting cows for mating.

After the fall rut, the heavy antlers are no longer a benefit to the bull moose, and they drop off (shed). After the first shed antler falls to the ground, the bull feels unbalanced and will often rub the remaining antler against trees and brush in an attempt to dislodge it. The shed antler shown in the picture was found hanging from a tree approximately 8 feet above the ground, where the bull may have purposely tried to knock it loose after dropping the first antler shed.

In spite of the number of bull moose roaming in the northern woodlands, finding an antler shed can be difficult and requires a certain level of luck. The high mineral content of the antler provides a source of nutrients for the rodents of the forest; the squirrels, mice and porcupines quickly find and devour the shed antlers. A hungry porcupine likely caused the chew marks on the antler shed in the photo.

Photo by the Author

Photo Credit: Public Domain Images

Moose Facts

Did You Know?

The moose is the largest member of the deer family. The scientific name for moose is Alces alces.

The word 'moose' is thought to originate from the North American Algonquian Indian word meaning 'twig eater'.

Male moose are called Bulls, and the females are called Cows. A young moose is called a Calf.

Moose are vegetarians. They eat leaves, twigs and marsh plants, and can eat up to 50 pounds of greens every day. They are generally found around ponds and streams, and prefer to eat willows and aspens. In the summer, they eat water lilies and other aquatic vegetation.

Moose have very poor eyesight, but they have excellent hearing and a sharp sense of smell. They can run as fast as 35 miles per hour.

Photo by the Author

A moose can live up to 20 years, though the average life expectancy is typically less than 10 years of age. Bear, wolves and man are natural enemies of the moose, and insects can also take a toll. Ticks infestations have a dramatic impact on moose populations.

Only the bull moose has antlers. The antlers are shed each winter, and then begin to grow again in the following spring.

The rack of a huge bull moose can grow over six feet across, measured tip to tip, and can weigh up to 50 pounds (or more!). During the breeding season, bull moose use their large antlers in battle against other males for the right to mate.

Photo Credit: Public Domain Images

A fully grown bull can stand 7 feet tall and weigh over 1500 pounds.

The flap of skin hanging beneath the throat of a moose is called the Bell.

Moose are also susceptible to Brainworm, which is transmitted from deer through their droppings. Moose ingest the parasite by eating vegetation tainted by infected deer droppings.

Moose love the water, where they feed on water plants and submerge to escape from swarms of mosquitoes and black flies. Moose are very good swimmers.

Typically a solitary animal, moose are sometimes found in close proximity to one another when feeding. A group of moose is called a herd.

The plural of moose is: moose

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Huge bull moose grunting in lake - Glacier National Park (Sept. '09): by shanemvg | video info

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Bull Moose Poster

Moose Sightings

Alaska residents warned about aggressive moose after spate of attacks during ...: ANCHORAGE, Alaska ? Alaska wildlife biologists are warning about the dangers of moose calving season after several people were injured in the past week by protective cows, including a 6-year-old girl who was stomped by one in her backyard until her ...
Moose on the loose: Idaho Fish and Game officer Andrew Sorensen carries a baby moose to a waiting vehicle after it became separated from its family during a visit gone awry in Rexburg. Posted: Saturday, June 2, 2012 7:50 pm | Updated: 7:54 pm, Sat Jun 2, 2012.
Hay Festival 2012: Britain should 'rewild the countryside' with wolves, lynx ...: A moose among wild flowers is photographed on Utah's Wasatch Mountains Photo: David C. Schultz / Rex Features By Louise Gray Speaking at The Telegraph Hay Festival, he said that sheep farming in places like Wales, Dartmoor and the Yorkshire Dales is ...
Alaska Cow Moose Stomps Girl, Poses A Danger To Residents: AP | Posted: 05/30/2012 8:00 pm Updated: 05/31/2012 8:50 am ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) ? Alaska wildlife biologists are warning about the dangers of moose calving season after several people were injured in the past week by protective cows, ...

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Moose in the News

Wayward moose delays flight: By Tonaya Marr And Terrence McEachern, Leader-Post June 1, 2012 11:00 PM A young bull moose was tracked down in the Cathedral area of the city on Friday. After tranquilizing the animal it was taken by flat bed tow truck to a spot outside the city to ...
Moose causes delays at Regina airport: By Tonaya Marr & Terrence Mceachern, Leader-Post June 1, 2012 6:25 PM A young bull moose was spotted in the Cathedral area of the city June 1, 2012 in Regina, SK. After tranquilizing the animal it was taken by flat bed tow truck to a spot outside the ...
Bloomington a popular site for 1912 presidental hopefuls: In the end, Roosevelt failed to snatch the nomination from Taft, prompting him to leave the GOP and run for president under the Progressive (or ?Bull Moose?) Party banner. Four days before the April 9 Illinois primary, Woodrow Wilson, ...
Moose on the loose takes stroll through neighborhoods, triggers police chase ...: Division of Wildlife Resources officers tried to corner the wandering bull moose on Wednesday morning when the animal ran away. It was stopped when conservation officer Mark Burgess shot it with a tranquilizer dart. Officers rolled the subdued moose in ...

Moose Photos

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Moose by the Numbers

UMass studying effects of increasing moose population on forests around ...: In 1998, the state's moose population was estimated at 75. By 2006, it had grown to nearly 1000. Built in the 1930s, Quabbin Reservoir and its watershed were off limits to hunters for most of its history. However, finding that densities of deer were as ...
Mass. Officials: Moose Population “Increasing Dramatically”: ?Our moose population is increasing dramatically,? said Ralph Taylor of the state's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. ?We see a lot of females that are residents here now, where as 15 years ago we thought they were displaced from the states to the ...
Wayward moose delays flight: ... at 6: 30 pm It tracked through the city until it was secured and tranquilized in a downtown parking lot. No one from the Ministry of Environment was made available to speak about the recent sighting or the current moose population in the Regina area.
Moose on the move throughout Vermont: A rebound in Vermont's moose population over the past century means more people are now spotting the largest animal roaming wild in New England. "They're a magnificent creature," beamed Vt. Fish and Wildlife Dept. biologist Cedric Alexander.

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The North American Moose

Moose Facts and Fun Stuff

Moose Facts

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