Luxor Creek Outfitters - British Columbia Big Game Hunts & Guide Outfitting

(Alces alces shirasi)

The moose is the largest and most powerful living member of the deer family, and, second only to the buffalo, the largest land animal in North America. The name is derived from the Algonquian word "moos," which means "eater of twigs." There are four main species of moose that inhabit North America. The Eastern Moose (Alces alces americana) is found from northern New England to Labrador. The Manitoba Moose (Alces alces andersoni) ranges over most of the rest of Canada. The Alaska Moose (Alces alces gigas) is the largest of all moose species, and inhabits the territory it was named for. Finally, the Shiras Moose, of the type en-
countered at Luxor Creek, ranges throughout the Rocky Mountains as

far south as Colorado. The Shiras was originally named for the late George Shiras III, a naturalist and long-time trustee of the National Geographic Society.

The moose is distinctive for its drooping snout and dewlap, or "bell," which hangs from the animal's throat. Males are most noteworthy for their large, flat, palmate (shovel-
shaped) antlers which have small tines and sharp prongs projecting from the edges. The

pelage of the moose is stiff and brittle, and reddish brown to black in color. The legs are gray, and the lower belly has whitish fur. A male moose will be 7.5 to 9.2 feet in length and weigh 849 to 1,800 pounds. The smaller female of the species will be 6.5 to 8.5 feet in length and 727 to 873 pounds in weight. Moose reach maturity at two to three years, and are known to live up to 27 years of age.

The moose is a browser whose diet consists of twigs, shrubs, and the bark of saplings during the winter; and leaves, upland plants, water foliage, and lush grasses in the summer. During the heavy winter snows, moose will forage in thick mature forests where the understory is relatively clear of snow, offering some protection from the frigid winds. Moose are able to high-step through deep winter snow, and their broad hooves have evolved to provide good support in swampy areas. Moose are excellent swimmers, and will often take to the water to es-
cape predators. During the summer, moose feed heavily on water plants, and have been seen diving and swimming underwater to

a depth of 15 feet in search of foliage. Moose are also known for their taste in junk food, most nota-
bly, potato chips. As most herbivores of North America find salt to be a scarce commodity, by spring their salt reserves will be greatly reduced. The moose's pre-
occupation with water plants has been determined to be a direct re-
sult of the presence of higher sodium concentrations in aquatic plants. The ideal lake for a moose in search of salt is a shallow pond with a high mineral contant, and a constant agitation of water in and out . . . and of course the presence of a high density of water plants. Salt is so important to these animals that its availability will directly affect the moose popula-
tion.

Moose prefer wooded habitats and early successional stages of coniferous evergreen and mixed de-
ciduous forests with open space. They also inhabit muskegs and streams of great boreal forests and tundra.

Solitary and a loner by nature than any other North American cer-
vid, the moose will travel alone

most of the year. The only time these animals become sociable is during the autumn rut. Rutting females take on the most vocal role, letting out long and loud moans that carry through the forest, summoning any bulls in the area. This call is so effective that it has long been successfully imitated by hunters with birch bark trumpets. Because these animals tend to be widely dispers-
                     ed, the bulls do not attempt to attract or defend a
                     harem as other cervids, such as elk. During the
                     rut, bulls can be extremely belligerent and danger-
                     ous to anything and anyone they encounter.
                     They will charge other bulls, humans, cars, and
                     even trains (the trains usually win).

                          The antlers of the moose are among the most
                     massive of all animal racks, and have been known
                     to exceed six feet from tip to tip, and weigh up-
wards of 70 pounds. Obviously, the males must develop strong neck muscles to carry this weight. A thick network of blood vessels in the velvet of the antlers is needed to grow the massive rack, which represents a tremendous investment of nutrients, considering they are cast off by the moose every season.

Wolf packs are the primary predators of the moose, although grizzlies, black bears, wolverines, and cougars are known to prey on their calves. However, a healthy moose can usually fend off a pack of wolves.

Moose season at Luxor Creek Outfitters is fairly late in the year and after the fall rut, so "spot and stalk" is the most common method. Numbers are limited, so the chances of finding a large bull are high. As our area is located in the northern part of the Shiras moose range, we have good sized moose, which will make a very impressive trophy.