MamaArcher's Blog

All About Moose

Being here in Alaska, moose are a big deal. I thought I would share with you some of the things we have learned about moose since arriving here a few months ago. Enjoy!

1. Moose are so much bigger than you imagined!
2. Rutting or mating season comes in the fall, and boys impress ladies by pitting antler against antler.
3. When driving moose are hard to see because of their height and because your lights won’t reflect in their eyes or off their coats.
4. More people are injured each year by moose than by bears.
5. If its ears are laid back and hackles are up it is likely to charge.
6. Aggressive behavior toward humans is more common when cow moose are protecting their young in the summer or during the rutting season.
7. Never get between a cow and a calf. Don’t walk toward a moose if you can avoid it; try to remain at least 50 feet away.
8. Never throw snowballs at a moose.
9. Try to get behind a tree if a moose charges. You can run around the tree better than it can.
10. Unlike with a bear, it is okay to run from a moose.
11. Moose kick with their front hoofs as well as their hind hoofs.
12. At the beginning of rutting season the velvet is shed from the antlers of the bull moose.
13. The bull moose large antlers have reached their peak for rutting season and will eventually fall off for the winter months ahead.