Natural sounds for calling moose

The moose’s coat is dark, ranging from blackish to dark brown, and relatively lighter on the face. Males’ faces darken from mid-August, as testosterone levels rise in anticipation of the coming mating season. Moose have long legs, perfect for negotiating the many obstacles found in their habitat (such as snow, tree trunks and waterways), and a bulge at shoulder height. The bones of this bulge are linked to the muscles and tendons that support the heavy head and, in the case of males, the plume. A healthy, mature female moose can weigh up to 545 kg, while males can approach 750 kg. Each antler is composed of a main “palm”, larger at the top, and a smaller frontal “palm” that protrudes forward. Woods have two different shapes: the full palm and the split palm. In split-palm woods, there’s an indentation between the main palm and the front palm, while solid-palm woods, as their name suggests, have none.Woods usually start growing in April. By mid-July, their growth is about 80% complete. From then on, the woods harden and, by early September, the velvet covering begins to peel off. In November, the woods begin to fall. The plume is sometimes used in fights between animals of the same social rank when they are vying for females. Other notable features of the moose include an overhanging upper lip, large ears and a dewlap (fold of skin) hanging below the throat. Baleen plates are more robust in males than in females, and include a rope-like piece of skin. With age, this “rope” usually falls off. Female moose can be identified by a white spot on their vulva, just below the anus. This spot is particularly useful for determining the gender of In Canada, the moose lives on the edge of the forest. boreal forest from Newfoundland (where it was introduced) and the Quebec-Labrador peninsula to western British Columbia and the northern Arctic Ocean in Alaska, via Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Called elk in Europe, moose range from northern Asia to Scandinavia, and are often found in areas affected by logging or recent fires, preferring new vegetation.

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In winter, moose graze on the new buds of balsam fir, as well as the twigs of hardwoods such as birch, aspen, willow, red dogwood and hazel. In summer, moose feed mainly on leaves and aquatic plants. From spring to early autumn, he also uses lickable blocks and blocks of highly concentrated mineral salts naturally found in swamps, streams and mud. Roadside salt deposits (due to winter salt spreading) are also visited.

Reproduction and development

The moose mating season, sometimes called the “rut”, involves a series of behavioral and physiological changes that begin as early as mid-August. Breeding starts in mid-September and usually ends around the second week of October. During this mating season, females make themselves heard with a loud, long call and males, when searching for receptive females, use a deep, guttural growl. While a few precocious females reproduce at a year and a half, the others usually have done so by the autumn of their second birthday. Their gestation period is around 230 days, and babies are born in spring. Newborns generally weigh between 12 and 16 kg, are reddish-brown and hide in secluded spots while the mother is grazing.During the mating season, bull moose urine takes on a pungent odor. Males dig a shallow hole in the ground and urinate. Then they vigorously kick their front legs into the hole to splash urine onto their heads, dewlaps and the underside of their antlers. As for the females, they moisten their snouts with this urine, lie down in the hole the males have dug or rub their heads on the male’s dewlap. Research suggests that urine helps synchronize ovulation in females.

Living with humans

Moose are a traditional food source for the aboriginal peoples who share their habitat. In Eastern Canada, these groups include the Abenaki, Wolastoqiyik, Mi’kmaq and Algonquin. In central Canada and the plains, the Huron-Wendat, Ojibwe, Cree and Dakota feed on them, while from the plains to western Canada, the Siksika, Ktunaxa and continental Salish feed on them. Along the northwest coast, the Tlingit, Nuxalk, Nisga’a, Tsimshian and Nuu-chah-nulth hunt it, as do the Dene and Inuit First Nations in the subarctic and Arctic respectively. Finally, the Métis in various parts of Canada also feed on moose. Moose hunting generally takes place in late summer and early fall, as well as in late winter and early spring. How animals are found depends on the group; some, like the Mi’kmaq, travel to hunt, while others, notably those in the Algonquin cultural group, hunt on land belonging to individual families. For most aboriginal peoples, hunting is primarily a male activity, but among the Ktunaxa, the whole family participates.Moose is also hunted by non-aboriginals, according to guidelines established by each province and territory. In some provinces, motorists pose a serious problem for animals. In spring, yearlings begin to roam without the help of their mothers, and moose of all ages are attracted by roadside vegetation and winter salt. In New Brunswick, for example, around 400 moose are killed by motorists every year, and the majority of these collisions occur in spring and summer.

Issues

Logging and mining facilitate access to habitats previously inaccessible to moose, bringing them closer to hunters and other predators. Climate change is also a constant challenge for moose, as it increases the risk of disease. For example, winter ticks(dermacentor albipictus) are, despite their name, associated with warmer weather. A single moose can host tens of thousands of these ticks, and the fact that they feed on the animal’s blood has a negative impact on its behavior, weight, blood levels and reproductive health. Moose calves are particularly vulnerable, and their mortality rate is high. Similarly, the northward movement of white-tailed deer – due to warmer weather – is a major concern, as they carry a brain parasite that can kill moose. As moose populations decline, predators such as bears and wolves focus on young moose during the calving season, further complicating population recovery.