#THE LONG DARK MOOSE SKIN#
#THE LONG DARK MOOSE PATCH#
#THE LONG DARK MOOSE FULL#

Unlike moose habitat elsewhere, northern Yellowstone does not have woody browse species that will come in quickly after a fire and extend above the snowpack to provide winter food. Large populations of elk and bison, which also browse willow, likely reduce the amount of willow forage available for moose. Many old moose died during the winter of 1988вЂ“89, probably as a combined result of the loss of good moose winter forage and a harsh winter. The population declined steeply following the fires of 1988 that burned mature fir forests. The Yellowstone moose population has declined from roughly 1,000 in the 1970s to about 200 in 1996 (the most recent data), with the northern range population down by at least 75% since the 1980s. Predator control programs, forest-fire suppression, and restrictions on moose hunting contributed to their subsequent range expansion and increased numbers.ДЇorest-fire suppression was probably the most important factor in moose population increase because moose in Greater Yellowstone depend on mature spruce/fir forests for winter survival, unlike other North American moose populations that prefer large willow flats or shrubland that has been created by events like fires or logging. The first documented report of a moose on the northern range was 1913. Moose appear to have been scarce in Yellowstone until the latter half of the 1800s and in Jackson Hole until the early 1900s. Cows most commonly give birth to a single calf in Yellowstone. Cows breed in early fall gestation is approximately eight months.

#THE LONG DARK MOOSE FULL#

When the antlers reach their full size, the bull rubs his antlers on small trees and brush to remove the velvet and polish the antlers in preparation for the rut. Yearlings grow six- to eight-inch forked antlers prime adult bulls usually grow the largest antlers-as wide as five feet from tip to tip. The antlers are flat and palmate (shaped like a hand). Finally, the knobs change into antlers and grow until August. Small bumps called pedicles on each side of the forehead start to swell, then enlarge until they are knobs covered with a black fuzz (called velvet) and fed by blood that flows through a network of veins. In April or May, bulls begin to grow new antlers. Shedding their heavy antlers helps moose conserve energy and promotes easier winter survival. The weaker bull usually gives up before any serious damage is done on rare occasions the opponentвЂ™s antlers inflict a mortal wound.Д«ulls usually shed their antlers in late December to late January, although young bulls may retain their antlers as late as March. Cows emit a drawn out groan in search of a mate, and bulls challenge one another with low guttural and repetitive grunts before clashing with their antlers. But many moose move to higher elevations (as high as 8,500 feet) to winter in mature stands of subalpine fir and Douglas-fir.Дuring the rut, both bulls and cows are vocal. Some moose that summer in the park migrate in winter to lower elevations west and south of Yellowstone where willow remains exposed above the snow. An adult moose consumes approximately 10вЂ“12 pounds of food per day in the winter and as much as 50 pounds of food per day in the summer. In winter when available, moose exhibit a high preference to subalpine fir. But the principle staples of the moose diet are the leaves and twigs of the willow, followed by other woody browse species such as gooseberry and buffaloberry. In summer, moose eat aquatic plants like water lilies, duckweed, and burweed. The dewlap holds the scent that is then dispersed by the wind. Bulls urinate in wallows and lay down and splash in it spreading the scent all over them.

#THE LONG DARK MOOSE SKIN#

Adults of both sexes have вЂњbellsвЂќ-a pendulous dewlap of skin and hair that dangles from the throat.

#THE LONG DARK MOOSE PATCH#

Females are distinguished from bulls without antlers by the white patch beneath their tail. Bulls have antlers for most of the year, or pedicles (flat bony protrusions on the skull) in the winter after antlers are cast. Moose are dark brown, often with tan legs and muzzle. Moose, especially cows with calves, are unpredictable and have chased people in the park. Both sexes have long legs that enable them to wade into rivers and through deep snow, to swim, and to run fast. Moose are the largest members of the deer family in Yellowstone.

The long dark moose