Moose in Yellowstone National Park
Moose were reportedly very rare in northwest Wyoming when Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872. Subsequent protection from hunting and wolf control programs have contributed to increased numbers, but suppression of forest fires probably was the most important factor, since moose depend on mature fir forests for winter survival. Surveys in the late 1980s suggested a total park population of fewer than 1000 moose.
To catch a glimpse of a moose in Yellowstone park look in the midst of the willows of Willow Park or near the Madison and Firehole Rivers. You are also likely to see one in the streams, marshes, and willow thickets along the road between Mammoth Hot Springs and Norris. Moose may also be observed in the Fishing Bridge/Yellowstone Lake area, the Lamar Valley meadows, Hayden Valley, and along the east entrance road.
Moose spend most of their time in marshes, alder thickets, and near streams. They thrive on woody plants, and most of their diet consists of willows, sub-alpine fir, lodgepole pine, and buffaloberry. Occasionally, they can be observed feeding or resting while partially submerged in water
Each winter season, moose migrate to either the park’s lower elevations near the west and south entrances or to higher, more solitary terrain above 8,500 feet.
Moose (Alces Alces)
The moose is the largest member of the deer family with mature males (bulls) weighing up to 1,300 pounds. On average an adult moose can stand 6-7 feet high at the shoulder. The bull moose produce large palmate antlers, which are shed annually. Female moose (cows) can weigh up to 800 pounds, but they do not have antlers. Both bulls and cows have a growth of skin hair that hangs down from the throat. This is called a bell.
Moose are dark in color ranging from brown to black. The moose also has long legs, which are an adaptation to the thick marshes where it feeds and to a habitat that is covered by deep snow much of the year.
Male and female moose only congregate together during the September to November mating season, with bulls spending just one week with each cow before finding their next target of affection. One to three calves are born in May or June. Calves weigh 25 to 35 pounds at birth but grow rapidly. Calves are born in the spring and remain with the cow for a year. Cow moose will aggressively protect their young from any perceived threat.
Moose browse on twigs and leaves. Willows are an important food source, and moose also feed on submerged aquatic plants. Research on radio-collared moose in northern Yellowstone has shown that when snow depth forces moose from low-elevation willow stands in November, they move up to as high as 8500 feet, to winter in mature stands of sub-alpine fir and Douglas-fir. They browse fir almost exclusively during the deep-snow winter months.
Moose live mostly solitary lives, and die from disease, starvation, or predation by wolves and, occasionally, by grizzly bears.
The Moose In Native North American Legends
The moose symbolizes the joy of accomplishment, not in a proud boasting way, but in a way that encourages us to explore new depths of awareness that lie within the self and our environment. Moose’s medicine includes primal female energies, longevity, value and integrity.
Hunters of First Nations cultures believe that the moose was a sacred gift needed for survival. They tell this story to emphasize this belief: a Moose Family was sitting in their lodge around the fire. A long pipe entered and floated around them. Old Bull Moose and the others ignored the pipe. It reached Young Bull Moose. He took the pipe and began to smoke it.
Old Bull Moose told him that by taking the pipe he had killed the Moose Family. This pipe was from the Human People who smoked it to ask for success in the next day’s hunt. They would find the Moose Family because he smoked the pipe. Young Bull Moose said he was not afraid because he could outrun the Human People.
In the morning, the Moose People left their lodge to find food. As soon as they got to the forest, they smelled the hunters. A thin crust on the snow made it hard for the Moose People to move swiftly. The Moose People started to run as the Human People pursued them. Young Bull Moose ran away from the others, confident he could outrun the hunters. Human People pursued him until he was tired and had to rest. They reached him, and then killed him.
The Human People thanked him for smoking their pipe and giving himself to them so that they could survive. His body was treated with care; his spirit soothed.
That night, Young Bull Moose woke in his lodge surrounded by his family. He received a present, a long pipe, from the Human People. He said it wasn’t wrong for him to accept the pipe the Human People sent the previous night. His body was treated with respect. It was right to allow the Human People to catch Moose People.
Based on this tale, some American Indians believe that hunters who show respect to moose and other animals are the ones who have successful hunts.
Reclusive And Grumpy
Moose are often called awkward, homely, prehistoric, and strange along with a host of other slurs. Nonetheless, these unusual creatures persevere with an array of unique bodily oddities.
Boasting a naturally grumpy temperament, moose feature cloven webbed feet that make them both water and land lovers. Their large floppy ears detect the presence of danger and their long legs enable them to travel up to thirty miles per hour! That six to ten inch fleshy bell hanging from their throats helps them efficiently shed water.
Although such curious creatures captivate all those lucky enough to see them, the chocolate-colored moose maintains a nearly solitary life and demands plenty of personal space.
Moose browse on twigs and leaves. Willows are an important food source, and moose also feed on submerged aquatic plants. Moose are dark in color ranging from brown to black. The moose also has long legs which are an adaptation to the thick marshes where it feeds and to a habitat that is covered by deep snow much of the year.
Research on radio-collared moose in northern Yellowstone has shown that when snow depth forces moose from low-elevation willow stands in November, they move up to as high as 8,500 feet, to winter in mature stands of subalpine fir and douglas fir. They browse fir almost exclusively during the deep-snow winter months. Tiers (unpubl. data) found that moose ate 39.6 percent subalpine fir, 25.5 percent willows, 10.6 percent lodgepole pine, 4.6 per cent gooseberry, and 4 percent buffaloberry. Snow is not as deep under a canopy of conifer branches since some snow remains on them, and a crust that may restrict moose movements is less likely to form on shaded snow; however, Tyers found that moose could winter in areas where snow considerably deeper than that which elk could withstand.
The moose calf crop has been declining since the fires of 1988. During that summer there was also high predation of moose by grizzly bears in small patches of surviving timber. The winter following the fires many old moose died, probably as a combined result of the loss of good moose forage and a harsh winter. The fires forced some moose into poorer habitats, with the result that some almost doubled their home range, using deeper snow areas than previously, and sometimes browsing burned lodgepole pines.
Unlike moose habitat elsewhere, northern Yellowstone does not have woody browse species that will come in quickly after a fire and extend above the snow pack to provide winter food. Therefore, the overall effects of the fires were probably detrimental to moose populations. Park managers, in cooperation with staff from the adjacent Gallatin National Forest and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks continue to seek good methods to monitor the status of moose in northern Yellowstone. Aerial surveys of willow habitats in spring have shown some promise of providing an index of moose population trends in Yellowstone, although their current population and distribution remain largely unknown.
Moose are commonly observed in the park's southwestern corner along the Bechler and Falls rivers, in the riparian zones around Yellowstone Lake, in the Soda Butte Creek, Pelican Creek, Lewis River, and Gallatin river drainages, and in the Willow Park area between Mammoth and Norris. Summer moose migrations from south and west of the park into Yellowstone have been confirmed by radio telemetry.
One thing you can bet is that if it's mossy, it's moose-y. Moose spend most of their time in meadows and marshy areas. A moose's diet is made up mainly of underwater vegetation; when feeding, they often dunk their heads underwater, and can keep their heads submerged for more than three minutes. Despite their size, they are also great swimmers.
If you see a moose, be very cautious. The males can be very aggressive and females are extremely protective of their young. Because of their sheer size, moose can be dangerous, and they aren't as timid as many other wild animals. In fact, moose are probably more unpredictable than any other animal in the wild. Watch from a safe distance and pay close attention when you are fishing.
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