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ovis
.300 member


Reged: 26/01/03
Posts: 216
Loc: Homer, Alaska
odd moose behavior?
      #46808 - 17/01/06 01:47 PM

I thought that some of you would enjoy this picture of a bull moose w/three cows.....a couple of the cows were showing breeding signs and the bull was checking the cows by curling his upper lip to check for estrus.......pretty normal other than the breeding season has been over for a couple of months or more and most bulls have shed their antlers. This picture was taken today about three in the afternoon, at a distance of 50yds. or so....I took several pics before they spooked but only this one came out....my camera has "been ridden hard and put up wet" since I bought it two years ago.....right now it's having issues.

Joe




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"Where there's a hobble, there's hope."

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AdamTayler
.375 member


Reged: 22/03/04
Posts: 688
Loc: B.C.
Re: odd moose behavior? [Re: ovis]
      #46816 - 17/01/06 03:46 PM

Did you try calling closer? He was only 50 yards.

--------------------
It's the journey, not the destination.

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ovis
.300 member


Reged: 26/01/03
Posts: 216
Loc: Homer, Alaska
Re: odd moose behavior? [Re: AdamTayler]
      #46821 - 17/01/06 04:22 PM

AdamTayler,

Actually, I was going to run up and try to throw him like a rodeo steer, but I was afraid his antlers would come off when I twisted his head.....that would have ruined an already average photo....

Adam, I probably could have gotten closer, but after the first, "dammit," when the camera malfunctioned, no calling in the world would have overcome that......even moose know "dammit."

Joe

--------------------
"Where there's a hobble, there's hope."

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39885
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: odd moose behavior? [Re: ovis]
      #46829 - 18/01/06 12:20 AM

Joe

My farmed fallow herd sometimes show rut like behaviour well after the rut has finished. The stag herds all the does and keeps them in a compact herd. He goes to the fence lines to fight the other stags in the other paddocks.

My guess is one of the does has somehow come into season much later.

Very late if the stags or bulls are dropping antlers though.



--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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ovis
.300 member


Reged: 26/01/03
Posts: 216
Loc: Homer, Alaska
Re: odd moose behavior? [Re: NitroX]
      #46896 - 18/01/06 12:11 PM

John,

I talked to a biologist today and he stated that this was very unusual behavior for this time of year......he's seen moose breeding in a northern game unit here at the end of Nov.-early Dec., but never this late......he also stated that even if there was a breeding of one of the cows, a calf born in August wouldn't make it in all likelihood.

John, usually, this time of year, the moose are just trying to find something to eat while expending as little energy as possible.....we've got little snow and it's really been unseasonably warm so the moose are having a much better time of it than normal......I would agree that one of the cows was coming in estrus......pretty interesting stuff.

Joe

--------------------
"Where there's a hobble, there's hope."

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DPhillips
.375 member


Reged: 09/10/03
Posts: 819
Loc: Alaska
Re: odd moose behavior? [Re: ovis]
      #46924 - 18/01/06 04:09 PM

I wonder (figure its doubtful) if the squirrely weather we've had this year didn't have some effect? The summer was extremely hot and dry, coupled by a late fall and winter has been hit and miss since late November. I have read the estrus cycles are based on the amount of daylight and forage, so the weather question is reaching a bit, I guess. It has been odd though.

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ovis
.300 member


Reged: 26/01/03
Posts: 216
Loc: Homer, Alaska
Re: odd moose behavior? [Re: DPhillips]
      #46935 - 18/01/06 07:00 PM

DPhillips,

Since the last post, I heard back from the biologist and he stated further that the cows coming into estrus, are affected, as you've said, by hours of light, feed, and also fat layer.......so they have it pretty easy this winter, plenty of forage, and as you can see in the picture, they're in good shape. He also said that there is a cow moose on record, in captivity, that came into estrus in March.

So, many things come into the mix......weather certainly has an influence on some of the things......really interesting.

Joe

--------------------
"Where there's a hobble, there's hope."

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26998
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: odd moose behavior? [Re: ovis]
      #46974 - 19/01/06 07:38 AM

OVIS- cow moose which aren't bred during the rut in the last week of Sept through the 1st week of October, will come into estrus every 28 days for several months after the rut. The behaviour shows perhaps one or more of the cows missed being bred, and was coming into estrus.
: It is interesting the moose hadn't lost his antlers, but then, they usually drop them in mid to late January around here as well.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

Edited by Daryl_S (19/01/06 07:40 AM)

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ovis
.300 member


Reged: 26/01/03
Posts: 216
Loc: Homer, Alaska
Re: odd moose behavior? [Re: DarylS]
      #46980 - 19/01/06 08:51 AM

Daryl_S,

Cows will only continue to come into estrus if they are in proper condition and have the proper length of day(light). By now, cows are usually not in good enough condition to come into estrus as they lack a suitable fat layer....days are very short so the light also is a factor......biologist thought it unusual as well......our bulls, for the most part have shed antlers by middle of Dec. The bull in the picture may be the same bull I photographed last year in my yard in Feb. He had one antler then and was pretty much the same configuration as the one above.

This winter has been so mild, and, with the screwy weather DPhillips mentioned taking us into winter, there's no telling what's going on up here. Lots of snow machines for sale up here.

I'm sure everyones comments have something to do w/what's going on.....I just thought everyone would like to see something different. Pretty interesting stuff.

Joe

--------------------
"Where there's a hobble, there's hope."

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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26998
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: odd moose behavior? [Re: ovis]
      #47177 - 21/01/06 04:22 AM

Thanks for the 'shape' reason they stop going into estrus. It is usually restricted to only a couple times around here, late Oct. and Nov., and of course, any calves conceived after the normal rutt, if born, won't survive the following winter, if they survive at all.
: The weather is all screwed up here as well. As is happening this year, we also had mild weather last year until March, then the temp dipped to -35. I expect much the same this spring. Cold with lots of snow, but late when things used to be melting. We had a green christmas this year, quite beyond normal. I remember some with -40 temps and 12' of snow on each side fo the driveway by the 25th of Dec., with my dirt-bike handlebar sticking out of a wall of snow.
: So far, we've maybe only 12" of snow on the ground, with temps running above freezing most days and freezing at night. The bush has a bit more, of course, which seems normal as the elevations rise each direction from the city, except south.
: Around here, that bull would be fortunate to have antlers so long - makes things more difficult for the wolves.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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ovis
.300 member


Reged: 26/01/03
Posts: 216
Loc: Homer, Alaska
Re: odd moose behavior? [Re: DarylS]
      #47198 - 21/01/06 06:35 AM

Daryl_S,

I didn't know about the "in shape" thing either until I talked w/the biologist......he said it was dependent on the thickness of the fat layer...

That bull has lasted here only due to a 50"spread, three browtine, or spike/fork regulation here in our game unit. We have some wolves, but they're not the issue right here that they are in other areas of AK.....they're hunted and trapped regularly in this area and mange has taken it's toll also.

-16C here this morning......cooling off.

Joe

--------------------
"Where there's a hobble, there's hope."

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26998
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: odd moose behavior? [Re: ovis]
      #47208 - 21/01/06 07:39 AM

-16C Interesting - (celcius measurement) Same here at 05:00, but 3C now. It's supposed to go to 12C to 14C later next week.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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ovis
.300 member


Reged: 26/01/03
Posts: 216
Loc: Homer, Alaska
Re: odd moose behavior? [Re: DarylS]
      #47223 - 21/01/06 11:03 AM

Daryl_S,

You found my using celcius "interesting." I've spent a great deal of time in your country, sometimes for extended periods......my best friend is from one of the prairie provs......we communicate a lot.....it was just easier to learn the conversions for everything so I didn't feel like such an outsider even though no Canadian ever treated me as one. Canada is a great place.

Same temp. as before and snowing here.

Joe

--------------------
"Where there's a hobble, there's hope."

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26998
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: odd moose behavior? [Re: ovis]
      #47330 - 22/01/06 06:24 AM

and so I've had to learn the few US measurements as they differ from Imperial with regards to liquid measurement mostly and to convert C to F temps. It took me a long time to accept the metric system, and indeed, many measurements I use today are still the old system. Many US citzens don't realize they're country's legal system of measurement is also metric now. I don't blame them for resisting the shift - I'm still resisting.-HA!
: I expect to go PD shooting with a bunch from a small-bore web-sight, later this year, in Idaho and Montana, with friends from both States & including Neb. There are no borders between like-minded people.
: 32 and overcast.


--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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