Guest Author - Kimi Ross

The moose, Alces alces, is probably one of the best known and most often viewed of large Alaskan mammals. The largest member of the deer family, a mature, healthy bull moose can weigh up to 1600 pounds, while a cow can reach a weight of 1300 pounds. Despite their large size, moose are surprisingly agile and quick and trot at a speed of 35 mph if needed. Their long legs allow them to wade through deep snow, though they will seek out hard packed trails and roads when possible. Moose are also powerful swimmers. A full grown moose stands six and a half to seven feet at the shoulder. They are big animals!

Life History

Every fall, males enter the “rut” or mating season. Males are restless and move around seeking receptive females. They are vocal and may engage in combat with other males, though serious injuries are rare. Bull moose in rut urinate on themselves – an odor that females apparently find attractive (but people do not – a hunter taking a bull too close to rut may lose most of the meat as it is incredibly “stinky”). Depending on the location, the rut occurs anywhere from the end of September to early November.

Cows (female moose) begin breeding at two years of age and will give birth to a calf (sometimes twins and rarely, triplets) in May or June. Gestation period for moose is about 230 days. Calves generally stay with their mothers for an entire year; the cow chases her offspring away just before she gives birth to a new calf.

The life expectancy for a moose is fifteen to twenty-five years. Predation of calves by bears can be quite high in some areas. Wolves are also a primary predator of moose year round. Winter conditions play a large part in survival rates – deep snow can hamper movement and lead to increased predation, as well as covering browse and forage.

Diet

Moose are ruminants. Like cows, they have a four chambered stomach that allows them to digest woody plant material. This is extremely important in late fall and winter, as their main food source is willow, birch and alder stems and twigs. In some areas, evidence of moose feeding can be seen as a 6 to 8 foot high hedge or browse line where the tender tips of shrubby plants have been clipped. In spring and summer, they are able to vary their diet more by grazing on sedges, grasses, horsetail, forbs and leaves.

Moose and People in Alaska

Moose are the most widely hunted large game animal in Alaska. For many Alaskans who do not have access to a local grocery store, the annual fall moose hunt is an important food source. Even for those who live in more populated areas, moose meat is an important and favorite supplement to the diet. Traditionally, moose was (is) an important resource for the Athabaskan people of Alaska. Besides its obvious use as a food source, the moose hide was used for clothing as well as a covering for canoes.

Moose are generally more active at dusk and dawn, and these are good times to observe them. If you’re traveling on Alaska’s highways, you’ll often see them browsing in the willows off to the side of the road. Watch for them! Moose can move quickly and as statistics can attest, drivers often are surprised by moose that seem to materialize out of nowhere. Over one hundred moose are killed annually on the highways in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough alone.

A visit to Alaska is not complete without seeing one of these large mammals. Anchorage residents are quite used to seeing moose strolling down the street, appearing in backyards, browsing in the garden, or getting tangled in Christmas lights. Although these incidents can seem comical or give the appearance of an animal tolerant of people, moose can be quite dangerous and unpredictable and should be treated with respect and caution. If a moose looks at you with raised hackles and lowered ears, she is feeling threatened and may charge – in that case it’s best to forget about the great photo you want to get and move out of the way. A moose’s front legs and hooves are formidable weapons (they use them, after all, to fend off wolves, often successfully). Fortunately, unlike predator species, a moose will only chase a threat off to a comfortable distance.