Cows will carry their calves until the following May when births occur. By the end of the first week in October, the rut abruptly ends and moose return to their lives of eating and resting as they prepare for winter. Cows wallow in pits, are pursued by bulls, and feed. Moose are very active during the peak of the rut (late September, early October). Cows produce wavering moans that can be loud enough to be heard a mile away. ![]() Yearling males perform less than 2 percent of all observed mating, mainly by finding cows away from groups.īulls emit low-frequency croaks. Large males dominate smaller males and keep them away from cow groups. In contrast, bulls may mate with up to 25 cows each year if they can fight off challengers. Ninety-eight percent of cows observed over a 12- year period mated once a year, with only one bull. Mating begins by about the third week in September. Large bulls feed intensively until the end of the first week in September, when they stop feeding for about three weeks as they Small bulls and cows continue to feed during the rut. Bulls decline after age 11, and most die by age 13. In contrast, cows first bear calves when they are three. Denali’s bull moose do not become successful fighters and breeders until they are about seven yearsold, and they remain in their prime until 11 years-old. Fights are won by bulls that are larger, stronger, more agile and more experienced than their opponents. During fights, the sound of clashing antlers can be heard up to a mile away.Īfter a fight, evidence may remain in the form of torn up shrubs and tufts of hair or pieces of broken antlers. Of all the different rutting behaviors, fighting is the most exciting as bulls engage in epic battles that may last for hours. Unlike sparring, fighting is violent and bulls frequently suffer injuries ranging from minor to fatal. Bulls must compete for breeding rights to the groups of cows. These may contain up to twenty-five females. During the rut, the neck muscles of bull moose expand to twice their normal size.īy mid-September cows form relatively stable groups that persist until the rut ends. At up to 1,600 lbs, they are enormously powerful. Sometimes binoculars are not even needed to observe how moose interact during the rut, and to see-and hear-some or all of the associated behaviors.īull moose are well-equipped to fight. The park road bisects the sparse spruce forests and more open shrub tundra that moose prefer during the rutting season. For example, how do rutting behaviors change in a hunted area when dominant bulls are removed?įall visitors to Denali have the exciting opportunity to easily observe moose between Miles 7-11. And Van Ballenberghe has raised new questions. The lowest ranking bulls were only able to mate with cows who had strayed from the groups being defended by the dominant bulls. For example, do only the largest bulls mate with cows? He was able to determine that the large, highest ranking males-the victors of antler-clashing fights-performed 88 percent of the mating. Some questions about moose rutting behaviors have been answered. After about 1,000 hours of observations to describe all the behaviors that occur during the rut, and how frequently they occur, Van Ballenberghe developed and tested hypotheses to explain the function of these behaviors. Forest Service, has studied the behavioral ecology of the moose rut in Denali since 1980. Vic Van Ballenberghe, now retired from the U. The rut begins when the bulls are sleek and fat and their antler velvet (protective layer of skin) has been shed.ĭr. Males (bulls) ingest enough nutrients to grow a new set of antlers and by late August have gained up to 250 pounds of fat and muscle. ![]() The rut begins in late August after cow moose have spent the summer feeding (up to 13 hours a day), gaining weight, raising calves, and growing a new coat. Their uneventful lives quickly become hectic as bulls compete for breeding rights and cows seek out mating overtures from bulls. Behaviors emerge that have been dormant for the past year as moose engage in rituals related solely to reproduction. Moose typically avoid other moose during winter, spring and summer-they are not social animals that live in groups like caribou or Dall’s sheep.īut during autumn, moose become social and their lives change dramatically as the season for mating- also known as rutting-unfolds. ![]() ![]() In Denali National Park and Preserve, they occasionally interact with bears and wolves, predators that they avoid, evade, or defend themselves against if they can. Their time is largely spent feeding, resting, and moving from place to place. If you are visiting Denali in late August or September, how many moose rutting behaviorsĬan you observe? How does each behavior contribute to the reproductive success of moose?įor most of the year, moose lead uneventful lives.
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