Moose
Scientific Name: Alces alces
The moose is the largest member of the deer family, and the largest land mammal in New York State. They are hard to misidentify! They are a massive, solitary herbivore know for its long legs, distinctive face, and broad palmate antlers in males.
They can be up to 6 foot at shoulder height and when full-grown weigh between 500 and 1,500 lbs. Males (bulls) are typically larger than females (cows) and both sexes have brown pelage comprised of a wool-like undercoat and coarse, hollow, overcoat with a short mane between the shoulders.
They have a massive head, longer front legs, a thick neck, short tail, and a long rectangular face and nose. They have a long, overhanging snout and a “bell” or dewlap (flap of skin) that hangs under the throat. They have large ears and eyes adapted for sharp hearing and vision.
Cows have a lighter face and white patch under the tail and bulls have large antlers from spring to winter that can span 5 feet or more in width! They shed these antlers annually in the winter.
Adult size: Up to 6 feet tall!
Weight: 500 to 1,200 lbs, with males being larger than females
Life span: Up to 23 years, 7 to 8 on average
Maturity: About 1.5 years for both genders but most don’t breed until 2.5+
Litter size: 1 to 3
Fun Fact
Moose are capable swimmers and can even dive 20’ to forage for aquatic plants!
Diet
Depending on seasonal availability, moose browse on leaves, twigs, and shrubs of willows, birches, maples, balsam fir, viburnums, aspen, and mountain ash. They also eat bark in winter stripping it from trees with their lower teeth. During summer they also feed on aquatic vegetation from wetlands and ponds. Adults may consume 40-60 lbs of vegetation a day.
Habitat
Moose inhabit boreal forests including broadleaf and mixed forests. They prefer mature upland habitats with nearby wetlands and some early successional openings good for foraging.
Behavior
Moose are good swimmers and are often seen in and around water sources where they escape insects, cool off, and forage for aquatic vegetation in summer. Moose are active during the day and especially at dawn and dusk. Moose can run up to 35 mph for short distances and can be dangerous to humans who approach too closely, especially during the rut or a mother with calf.
Moose are known to “yard up” in small groups during winter in locations with favorable conditions but remain solitary most of the year; with exceptions being mothers with young and sometimes small groups of bulls in the spring and summer that form “satellites”.
They are generally calm, but can be aggressive, especially during rut of if defending calves.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
The moose rut is from late September to early or mid-October. Females give birth in May or June to usually one or two 20-25 lb calves that will be 300 lbs or more by fall! Unlike deer, newborn moose stay close with their mother who actively defends them. They will remain with the mother their first year.
Population Status
Moose were extirpated from New York State by the late 1800’s. In the late 1980’s a small population (15-20 moose) was known to be present in the Adirondacks. Today the current population there is around 700-800 individuals. Moose are threatened by a combination of factors including climate change, lungworm, brain worm, and liver flukes.
Viewing
Moose in the Adirondacks are often difficult to see, but you may find them on logging roads, edges of early successional habitat, and along wetlands especially at dawn and dusk. The section of the Adirondack Park north of Paul Smiths has been noted as a location with frequent sightings.
Be safe, and keep your distance when viewing moose!
Range
They can be found throughout Northern North American, as well as parts of Europe and Asia. The majority of the population in New York is in the Adirondack park but they are also found in the Taconic Highlands along the Vermont and Massachusetts borders.
For more information on Moose in New York please visit the NYSDEC page here.
