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Wildlife highlight: Moose

Wildlife highlight: Moose

You might know that moose are the largest members of the deer family, but did you know that the moose found in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are the smallest of four subspecies of moose (Alces alces shirasi) in North America? 
 
Despite being the smallest of the subspecies, moose are still massive residents in our community. Females (cows) can weigh up to 900 pounds and reach 5.5 feet in length at the shoulder, while males (bulls) can weigh up to 1,000 pounds and reach 7.5 feet in length at the shoulder. They grow to such dimensions by consuming aquatic plants like duckweed and water lilies in the summer. However, the main food source for moose year-round are the twigs and the leaves of willows. In fact, the word “moose” means “twig eater” in Algonquian. An adult moose consumes as much as 50 pounds of food per day in the summer. 
 
Bull moose usually shed their antlers around midwinter, although young bulls may retain their antlers as late as March. Shedding their heavy antlers helps moose conserve energy and promotes easier winter survival. In April or May, bulls begin to grow new antlers, which grow to full size by August. 
 
There is an estimated population of 450-500 moose in Jackson Hole, which is down from a decade ago. Increased disease due to climate change, forest fires, predation, hunting, and competition with other herbivores that feed on willows may be to blame for the population decline. 

Phone: (307) 733-9417
info@jhalliance.org
685 S. Cache St. PO Box 2728
Jackson, Wyoming 83001