Moose

by Jennifer Vashon
Wildlife Biologist

Learn About Crashes Involving Animals in Maine (off-site)

Physical Description

The Latin name for moose, Alces alces, means elk and in Europe and Asia moose are called elk. However, in North America, Alces species are called moose. Four subspecies of moose are recognized in North America. The eastern or Taiga moose is the subspecies found in Maine.

During Maine's fall hunting season, the average adult cow weighs 600 lbs (dressed) and the average adult bull weighs 800 lbs (dressed). Large bulls weigh over 1000 lbs, dressed. The total length of a moose is about 9 feet and height measured at the shoulder is about 6 feet. The front hoof width is about 5 inches for a prime bull, just under 4 inches for a cow, and just under 3 inches for a calf. A cow has a brown face and dark body and a bull has a black face. Both cows and bulls have "bells", skin flaps found on the neck. A cow's bell looks more like a tuft of hair, whereas a bull's bell is larger and rounder. Some bulls may have an additional tuft of skin extending below the bell, but it is believed that this extension freezes off. A bull's antlers spread rarely exceeds 65 inches and a spread of 55 inches is considered good. Antlers on cows are extremely rare. Calves may have small buds by late September, yearlings may have spikes or small forks, and palms typically first develop in 2 and 3 year old bulls. Maximum antler development is obtained at age 5 and declines when bulls are in their teens.

Did You Know...

A lactating cow has the highest nutritional requirements of any moose and eats over 66 lbs. of browse a day?
A cow may leave her calf periodically, but will return to it?
A previous injury or poor nutrition can cause deformed antlers?
Moose can move each ear independently?
Moose can also move each eye independently?
To see an object below them, a moose must tilt its head downward or twist its eyeball downward?

Natural History

Habitat. Bulls and cows use somewhat different habitats during the summer, which is a tradeoff between cooler temperatures for bulls and the requirements for raising calves. Bulls are typically found at higher elevations in mixed and hardwood stands, where food supply is less available, but shading provides cooler temperatures. Cows are found at lower elevations in regenerating stands and adjacent softwoods, because food is more concentrated. This concentrated food source limits the amount of time cows spend feeding, which limits calves vulnerability to predators. Moose typically winter at higher elevations where more hardwood browse is available, and they often feed in regenerating stands. Mature softwood is used as cover when snow depth exceeds 3 feet.

Food Habits. Moose subsist on browse, the leaves and twigs of woody plants. Willow, aspen, birch, maple, pin cherry, and mountain ash are important, high quality browse utilized year round by moose. Because leaves are absent from hardwoods in the winter, balsam fir is an important winter food for moose. However, moose can not survive on balsam fir alone, because it has lower nutritional value. Fire, wind throw, insects, and forest practices, such as clear cutting, promote disturbance and regrowth of these important forage trees. Sodium is also important to moose. Aquatic plants, such as pondweed and water lily, have a higher sodium content than woody vegetation and are an important part of a moose's diet. As a result, moose have reduced the number of aquatic plants in much of northern Maine. Natural salt licks are rare in Maine, so moose are often seen along roads using the salt runoff as an artificial salt lick.

Reproduction. The breeding season for moose begins in late September and last into early October. Cows may produce their first calf when they are two, and most produce a calf by age 3. Each May, cows give birth to 1 to 2 calves. Cows rarely have more than 2 calves and young cows rarely have twins. A cow's nutritional condition determines the number of calves born and when a cow first breeds. Moose continue to breed into their teens, but are less productive. Calves remain with their mother for one year and are driven off shortly before the next calf is born. Bulls are able to breed as yearlings, but most do not breed until they are older and can compete with other larger bulls.

Hunting Tips

Prior to the moose season, sight in your rifle.
Moose often appear closer than they are, because of their large size. Keep this in consideration when estimating the distance to the moose before you shoot.
Be prepared to get your moose out of the woods. Rope, come-alongs, pulleys, a chain saw, and waders can be indispensable on your hunt.
Quartering your moose will make it easier to haul and will reduce the risk of your meat spoiling.
Skinning your moose, or filling the chest cavity with ice, will also reduce the risk of your meat spoiling.
A 30-30 can be used for shooting a moose, but it doesn't have the range of larger guns. A larger caliber gun (308, 30-06, 7 or 8mm) may improve your success and reduce the possibility of wounding a moose.

Survival. Moose die from a variety of causes: legal and illegal harvest, road kills, other accidents (drowning, falls, etc.), predation, disease, starvation, and old age. Harvest and road kills account for 2,000 to 2,500 moose deaths a year. Predation of adult moose is low, because predators capable of killing adult moose are rare or absent from Maine. Black bears, which are common in Maine, are potential predators of moose calves. Three parasites can cause mortality in moose in Maine: brain worm, winter tick, and lung worm. Moose infected with brain worm almost always die, but winter tick and lung worm infestations rarely kill moose.

Longevity. The average life expectancy is 8 years for a cow and 7 years for a bull. Moose may live into their late teens, but rarely live past 20.

Historical Management in Maine

Distribution and Population trends. According to writings of early explorers, moose were plentiful in New England during the 1600s. By the early 1900's, moose populations in Maine had declined to an estimated 2,000. This decline was mostly attributed to unrestricted hunting. Clearing forestland for farming and increased incidence of brainworm attributed to increasing deer populations also contributed to their decline. Deer are host or carriers of brainworm without suffering any ill effects. During the 1900's, laws protecting moose from excessive hunting, and improving habitat conditions, allowed the moose population to increase. The moose population is currently estimated at 29,000.

Harvest Trends/Statistics

Season Changes. Prior to 1830, there were no laws restricting the harvest of moose. Moose could be hunted statewide, all year, without a bag limit. In 1830, the first law established an open season of 2 months. Over the next 14 years, from 1830-1874, the season length ranged from 2 to 8 months. Moose hunting was not allowed from 1875-1879. In 1880, the moose season was reopened. A bag limit was first established in 1889, which limited each hunter to one bull. From 1889-1915, the season length varied from 1 to 3 months. In 1915, the moose season was closed statewide. The season was reopened in 1919 for a short 11 day season with a 1 bull bag limit. The season continued to be closed and reopened periodically from 1920-1936. When the season was open, only one bull moose per hunter could be harvested during a 6 day season. In 1935, the season was reduced to 3 days. Then in 1936, the moose season was closed and remained closed until 1980. During this 54 year season closure, several bills were introduced to reestablish a moose season. In 1979, a moose hunting bill passed both houses and was signed into law. This law allowed the MDIFW to issue up to 700 permits to Maine resident hunters in 1980. A 6 day season was set during the last week of September 1980 and was restricted to an area north of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. A bag limit of one moose of any sex or age was allowed. A law was then enacted which allowed annual seasons of up to 1,000 permits (with a provision that 10% of the permits could be issued to nonresidents) north of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. In 1982, 1,000 permits were issued. A bill that expanded the moose hunting district was passed in 1985 and went into effect in 1986. Since 1982, the number of permits issued and the area open to hunting has increased. The number of permits issued increased to 1,200 in 1994, 1,400 in 1995, and 1,500 in 1996 and subsequent years. A bill that increased the maximum number of permits to 2,000 in 1998 was passed in 1997, and, in 1999, moose permits were raised to 3,000, with 500 of those earmarked specifically for "antlerless moose".

Table 1. Success rate (% of permits filled) of Maine moose hunters by zone and year.

Moose Hunt Zones

Season	NW	NE	CE	SE	SC	SW	SO	ALL
1980	No Zones Established							91
1982	Moose Harvest Not Registered by Zone							88
1983	57	66	78	65	95	92	-	74
1984	67	78	82	83	94	91	-	82
1985	73	86	89	86	98	98	-	88
1986	65	85	90	72	100	91	-	86
1987	64	90	96	78	98	98	-	89
1988	84	93	92	82	98	100	-	93
1989	82	95	93	85	99	97	-	92
1990	74	88	93	75	97	98	-	88
1991	90	99	97	89	99	98	-	96
1992	78	93	94	79	98	96	-	91
1993	80	95	96	85	98	99	-	93
1994	85	96	95	88	98	98	-	94
1995	78	94	93	88	98	99	-	93
1996	76	96	93	87	100	96	-	92
1997	81	93	92	88	98	95	88	92
1998	85	95	91	90	98	99	95	93
1999	80	87*	88	81	96	91*	92	87*
2000	73	84	87	78	99	88	94	85

* In 1999, success rate in the NE zone was 93% for hunters with any moose permits and 74% for those with antlerless permits. For the SW zone, success rates were 95% and 84%. Overall, 89% of hunters with any moose permits killed a moose and 79% of those with antlerless permits killed a moose.

Table 2. Maine statewide moose harvest from 1990-2000.

Season	Males	Females	Unrecorded	Total	Number of Permits	Success Rate (%)
1990	705	177	0	882	1,000	88
1991	740	219	0	959	1,000	96
1992	702	206	0	908	1,000	91
1993	766	168	0	934	1,000	93
1994	950	176	0	1,130	1,200	94
1995	1,054	249	1	1,304	1,400	93
1996	331	1,050	3	1,384	1,400	92
1997	1,071	303	0	1,374	1,500	92
1998	1,458	408	0	1,866	2,000	93
1999	1,836	781	2	2,619	3,000	87
2000	1,625	917	10	2,552	3,000	85

Past Management Goal and Objectives. During the 1975 and 1980 planning process, a harvest goal was established, but population size, and nonconsumptive use goals were not established. An objective of 1,100 to 2,200 moose harvested annually was made to meet the harvest goal. During the 1985 planning process, goals to maintain moose numbers at 1985 levels (21,150), increase harvest, and maintain viewing opportunity were established. Population, consumptive, and nonconsumptive objectives were developed to meet these goals. The Population Objective is to maintain moose populations at 1985 levels in all WMU's through 1996. The Consumptive Use Objective is to increase harvest to 1,000-1,400 moose per year or whatever level is needed to maintain populations at 1985 levels. The Nonconsumptive Use Objective is to maintain opportunity to view moose and decrease unsuccessful viewing trips by 50%.

DEPARTMENT INFORMATION

Moose