The males are called bulls and they can weigh more than 1,000 pounds
This is a young moose that I came across in Grand Teton National Park. If you are lucky enough to see a moose, it is generally somewhere around water, such as a marsh, lake shore, or along a river. In my case, I was near a body of water called Taggart Lake. Wild Boyz Photography featured a story on beautiful Taggart Lake back in January.
It is hard to miss this massive creature. The males are called bulls and they can weigh more than 1,000 pounds. The females are called cows and they can weigh ~900 pounds. They have long legs and stand up to 7.5’ at the shoulder.
Newborn moose will weigh 25-35 pounds at birth. Moose will remain close their mother when they are very young. This was in the back of my mind when I saw this young moose. You do not want to come between a young moose and her calf. Moose can and will charge humans. They can trample you with their massive legs. If you think you can run away, good luck, moose can run up to 30 miles per hour. If you think you could escape via the water, good luck, even newly born moose can swim up to ten miles per hour. In fact, mothers will take their calves into the water to evade predators.
Recent data estimates the moose population in North America to be ~1,000,000. Roughly 700,000 of those moose are in Canada. In Grand Teton National Park alone, there are ~500-600 moose! You are most likely to see a moose during the dawn or dusk hours. This is when they are most active. During the middle of summer, there are less sightings because of the thick vegetation. I likely would not have seen this moose if it were summer. With all the leaves off the trees, it is easier to find creatures like moose.
Moose can run up to 30 miles per hour
Did you know?
- Population increases in North American moose can be attributed to restrictions on moose hunting, predator control programs, and better forest fire control.
- Only males have antlers. They shed their antlers every year sometime between December and March. A mature bull’s antlers can weigh between 40-60 pounds, and sometimes more!
- Moose will live up to twenty years!
- The top predators of the moose are bears and wolves.
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