October 27, 2023 https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/189177749
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/189177749
As winter is closing in, I’ve been struggling to find an identifiable plant and the animals have been scarce. The bears are in their caves, the musk ox have retreated, birds have flown south and all that are left are the ravens and a few brave seagulls. As I wandered around my neighborhood, I came across a rack from this fall’s successful moose hunt. The moose, which looks to have been a tall and proud bull, has sacrificed its life unwillingly to feed a couple of families for the winter. Moose, Alces alces, is a member of the deer family, matter of fact it is the largest member (www.adfg.alaska.gov). They are found and hunted all over mainland Alaska, a well-known food source for the entire state. Moose are herbivores, eating primarily willows (they prefer young willows) and grasses. They are not only prey to us humans but also to bears and wolves. Just this spring I saw a bull who had survived a bear attack, he had scars and a hole in his flank. The poor guy was very skinny, so I figured it was the previous fall that the attack had taken place, and he spent a good part of winter healing and not eating. In the winter moose are seen in large groups, as many as twenty, but in the summer, they disperse in search of food. According to adfg.alaska.gov, moose move seasonally; from calving, rutting, and feeding locations. This proves my previous statement about them traveling in groups in the winter and dispersing in the summer.
Works Cited
Dfg.webmaster@alaska.gov. Moose Species Profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=moose.main. Accessed 27 Oct. 2023.
評論
Amy;
I have never seen a moose. It is something I have always wanted to see; I know that there are moose in Juneau, but they have not made it out to Sitka. I have witnessed Elk before, but though they resemble a moose, they are different. My Aunt, who owned a ranch in Idaho in the McCall area, would feed large herds of Elk with their Clydales wagon team and take tourists on sleigh rides to see these animals in the winter—a method to keep them from competing with the cattle industry there.
I also know they eat willow from a biology class I took, which is essential to Alaska's environment. I have heard they are prey animals, but I have heard that moose are not as tame as moose plush toys. I hope the moose you saw wounded by a bear survives. I always wonder what I should do. I saw a deer last year in my yard with a tumour on her thigh, and it was late fall. I knew she would not survive the winter. It is always sad when you notice a wounded animal in the wild. I guess because we live in Alaska, we understand the cycle of life better than most. Thank you for writing about this majestic beast.
Gayleen
Hello, Amy! The large antlers you have photographed certainly indicate, as you wrote, “a tall and proud bull”. I have had a few encounters with both male and female moose when I used to take routine trips in the summer up to Anchorage from Juneau but they were always going to be a certain level of intimidating because of their huge sizes–even the baby calves are pretty big! It saddens me that these beautiful creatures are prey to not only us humans but also other predators such as bears and wolves but, at the same time, I know moose meat is delicious, having had it myself on occasion, and hunting is necessary for people who live a subsistence lifestyle and for the hibernating animals too. Thank you for sharing!
Living in the southeast, the land of no moose, often leaves me forgetting about the stoic creatures that roam the rest of the state. In fact, I’ve yet to see an Alaskan moose. Where I’m from in Wyoming, moose are the main threat to be aware of when traveling or exploring in the mountains. I find it impressive that you saw a moose who survived a bear attack. It’s hard to imagine two large mammals in a head to head battle. As I learn more about subsistence practices, the act of landing a moose seems like quite the accomplishment since a single moose can feed multiples families. It’s amazing to think about the many lives impacted by the animal who once sported those antlers.
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