#Moose the long dark full#
#Moose the long dark series#

There are now large moose populations in north-central Ontario and in the southern part of British Columbia, where moose were previously unknown.

They are found in many regions which had no moose in presettlement days. Since the beginning of settlement in Canada there have been considerable shifts in the distribution of moose. It is estimated that there are between 500В 000 and 1В million moose in Canada. Moose are found in Canadian forests from the Alaska boundary to the eastern tip of Newfoundland and Labrador. Skilled hunters know when to leave the track and work their way upwind to the hiding-place of their quarry. Thus predators following its track will have to approach from the windward direction. When frightened they may crash noisily through the underbrush, but in spite of their great size even full-grown, antlered bulls can move almost as silently as a cat through dense forest.Д«efore bedding down, a moose usually travels upwind for a time and then swings back in a partial circle. Their cloven hooves and dewclaws spread widely to provide support when they wade through soft muskeg or snow. Long legs carry them easily over deadfall trees or through snow that would stop a deer or wolf. With their tremendous physical power and vitality, moose can travel over almost any terrain. The eyesight of the moose is extremely poor, but its senses of smell and hearing compensate. A moose calf is able to follow its mother on a long swim even while very young, occasionally resting its muzzle on the cowвЂ™s back for support. Of all North American deer, only the caribou is a more powerful swimmer. They sometimes dive 5.5В m or more for plants growing on a lake or pond bottom. In fact, moose are quite at home in the water. In summer, especially during fly season, moose often cool off in water for several hours each day. Moose tolerate cold very well but suffer from heat. Moose are found on the rocky, wooded hillsides of the western mountain ranges along the margins of half a million lakes, muskegs, and streams of the great boreal forest and even on the northern tundra and in the aspen parkland of the prairies. The bull responds with a coughing bellow. During the breeding season, or rut, the cow moose entices a mate with a nasal-toned bawling. The voice of a newborn calf is a low grunt, but after a few days the calf develops a strident wail that sounds almost human. Moose grow antlers each summer and shed them each autumn.

Yearling bulls usually have spike antlers, and the antlers of two-year-olds are larger, usually flat at the ends. Mature animals usually shed their antlers in November, but some younger bulls may carry theirs through the winter until April. The velvet dries and the bulls rub it off against tree trunks. By late August or early September the antlers are fully developed and are hard and bony. The antlers begin growing in midsummer and during the period of growth are soft and spongy, with blood vessels running through them. The antlers are pale, sometimes almost white.ДЄ bull calf may develop button antlers during its first year.

#Moose the long dark series#

The heavy main beams broaden into large palms that are fringed with a series of spikes usually less than 30В cm long. In late summer and autumn, a mature bull carries a large rack of antlers that may extend more than 180В cm between the widest tips but that are more likely to span between 120 and 150 cm. In colour the moose varies from dark brown, almost black, to reddish or greyish brown, with grey or white leg 'stockings.' Most moose have a pendant of fur-covered skin, about 30В cm long, called a bell, hanging from the throat. The ears resemble a muleвЂ™s but are not quite as long. The head is heavy and compact, and the nose extends in a long, mournful-looking arch terminating in a long, flexible upper lip. It is slab-sided and low-rumped, with rather slender hindquarters and a stubby, well-haired tail. The body is deep and massively muscled at the shoulders, giving the animal a humped appearance. Moose Alces alces have long, slim legs that end in cloven, or divided, hooves often more than 18В cm long. In fact, the moose is the largest member of the deer family, whose North American members also include elk (wapiti), white-tailed deer, mule deer, and caribou. Big bulls weigh up to 600В kg in most of Canada the giant Alaska-Yukon subspecies weighs as much as 800В kg. It stands taller at the shoulder than the largest saddle horse.

#Moose the long dark full#

A bull moose in full spread of antlers is the most imposing beast in North America.