Looking for Moose in Minnesota
Sent in by a reader
Minnesotans can see the real thing in our north woods. The back roads of Superior National Forest offer the
perfect boreal-forest habitat for moose and a moose-watching safari: wetlands and greened-up areas of tree
saplings regenerating after clear-cuts and fires.
Come fall, bull moose go into rut, and cows are in estrus. And during this mating season, Minnesota's ultimate
mega fauna exhibit some fascinating behavior. You might encounter a big bull thrashing willows with his
massive rack, a cow moaning to lure a mate, and, just maybe, two brawny moose locking antlers in a headcrashing duel. With a little knowledge of rut behavior, moose watchers can increase their chances of seeing a
spectacular show.
Prime Time. Mating season for moose begins around the third week of September and can last into late
October. This is when a big bull is at his grandest, with a hard, bony rack rubbed free of velvet in early
September now finely polished by rubbing on trees and brush.
"The rut is when moose are on their feet almost constantly, the most mobile they'll be all year, and so they're as
visible to people as they're going to be," says Tom Rusch, Department of Natural Resources area wildlife
manager in Tower.
Rusch says the photoperiod (decreasing amount of daylight as autumn progresses) is the biological trigger for
the rut, but the weather can ramp it up or shut it down. "Seasonably cold weather seems to kick the rut into gear
come late September. After a clear, chilly night, the bulls can really get going," he says. "But if there's a warm
stretch, moose get less active. If it stays warm, the rut becomes a nighttime activity."
Search for Sign. Bull moose leave signs of their rutting rituals in the woods. Trees with patches of bark rubbed
off could be spots where a bull left his calling card.
Cow moose also leave bare spots on tree trunks. A cow strips the bark with her mouth, and then rubs her head
on the wood to leave a scent with special glands on her forehead near her eyes and behind her ears. The scent
advertises to bulls that the cow is in estrus.
Moose used to have a much wider range but hunting and other human activities greatly reduced it over the
years. Moose have been reintroduced to some of their former habitats. Currently, most moose are found in
Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia and Russia. Their diet consists of both terrestrial and aquatic vegetation. The
most common moose predators are wolves, bears, and humans. Unlike most other deer species, moose are
solitary animals and do not form herds. Although generally slow-moving and sedentary, moose can become
aggressive and move surprisingly quickly if angered or startled. Their mating season in the autumn can lead to
spectacular fights between males competing for a female.
Scientific name: Alces alces
 Lifespan: 12 - 25 years on average
 Weight: 441 - 794 lb (Female) · 794 lb · 838 - 1,543 lb (Male)
 Height: 4.6 - 6.9 ft on average
 Gestation period: 243 days
 Horn length: 3.9 - 4.9 ft
Bull moose likewise advertise to cows via scent, using wallow pits. A bull scrapes a pit a few inches deep and a
couple of feet wide and urinates in it. Then he dips his head, antlers, and dewlap into the pit. Because his
dewlap is filled with capillaries and very warm, it intensifies the scent of his moose cologne.
Mating Calls. Quite often, people hear a rutting moose before they see one. Cows let out a long, wavering
moan, which can carry as far as a mile. Bulls respond with a series of short grunts. If a cow and a bull moose
detect each other, they play a game of Marco Polo moans, followed by grunt replies until the bull zeroes in on
the cow's location. Moose can triangulate the source of these sounds from a long way off, even in heavy cover.
Brave souls can mimic the calls of rutting moose to bring a bull or a cow in for a closer view. Traditionalists use
a scroll of birch bark rolled up like a megaphone (a time-honored Ojibwe technique) to broadcast their moose
calls, but others just cup their hands.
Moose callers should be wary if they're lucky enough to get near a moose. Bulls can be ornery during the rut,
occasionally charging people, cars, and even trains.
Where to Look. The prime places to see moose in mating season are wide-open spaces in the woods or
shallow waters. A moose call is most audible to a potential mate and moose can clearly see each other.
Rusch suggests that moose watchers plot a day trip by getting a map of the Superior National Forest and
looking for a loop of forest roads. Good moosing routes include the Gunflint and Arrowhead trails near Grand
Marais, the Echo Trail, and state Highway 1 near Ely, and County Road 7 and the Stony River Grade road near
Finland and Isabella.
"Peak moose breeding time and fall color tend to overlap in northeast Minnesota, generally between Oct. 5 and
15. Combining [moose watching and foliage viewing] can make for a beautiful trip and exciting photo
opportunities," says Rusch. "I would recommend spending time in good moose country in mid-October.
Visibility improves as the leaves begin falling and the underbrush opens up at this time."
Moose watchers should avoid areas where hunters are active (season Oct. 1 to 16). Moose hunters are on a
once-in-a-lifetime hunt, so be sure to give them plenty of room. But there's ample space for both moose
watchers and hunters in the woods, Rusch says. To be visible to all hunters, moose watchers should wear a
blaze orange cap or vest.
Rusch also warns that moose are unpredictable wild animals, so moose watchers should use common sense:
"Remember, you're not at a zoo. Keep a respectable distance from any moose, and have a big tree or vehicle
near you for an escape plan."
Grand Marais area wildlife manager Dave Ingebrigtsen echoes that warning: "Moose present a real risk. There
have been incidents of vehicles attacked and people chased into trees."
For those willing to brave the risk, "a handsome bull moose with huge beams for antlers can be a once-in-alifetime experience, something most people never get to see," Rusch says. "It's one of those things that makes
the north woods so special."
For additional information and the great work being done to preserve our Minnesota Moose:
University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute 5013 Miller Trunk Highway Duluth, MN 55811 (218)720-4294
Questions or Comments?
Send them to [email protected]
http://www.nrri.umn.edu/moose/
Thanks Stop Back Soon!
Opinions by Contributors
The opinions stated are those of the author and contributors to Outdoor Adventures Magazine LLC, and are not by fact or publication necessarily those of Outdoor
Adventures Ministry Inc. any of its affiliates or its official publication of Outdoor Adventures Magazine LLC. Publication does not necessarily imply endorsements.
Contributors to this magazine ensure that all materials posted are not illegal and do not infringe on the rights of any person or entity of any kind. All online material
from our website may not be modified, adapted, reproduced, distributed, converted and/or stored in any retrievable manner, in whole or in part, in any form and in
any way, without the express written consent of the copyright holder(s). You may, however, retain a copy of the material from our website for your own personal
and non-commercial use only. Unauthorized attempts to download, upload, modify and/or distribute any material on our website are strictly prohibited and may be
punishable by law. All material is copyrighted by OAM LLC and or the contributing author.
Return to home page click here: