Slow down for moose on the loose!

Photo courtesy of Katie Mumm

Our local moose have been consuming pounds of vegetation, aquatic and terrestrial, every day in preparation for the change in season. Cows and their calves have been gaining weight and developing beautiful coats. Bulls were gaining muscle mass, with their shoulders and necks sometimes doubling in size, and they’ve been growing incredible antlers!

This is all in preparation for the rutting or mating season, which occurs every fall and is believed to be triggered by changes in day length. In addition to physical changes in appearance, moose behavior changes. Moose call, paw the ground, shake their heads, and even fight–all in order to take care of the task of mating.

Of course, during the fall rut, cows ovulate, and bulls hear those yearning calls. They investigate those calls and might vocalize their approach (announcing their intentions of breeding) to those near and far. Moose are preoccupied with mating and will run, not being as wary as usual, in fact not being aware at all. They have a laser focus on mating.

This is a time of year when those using our roadways need to be particularly careful. SLOW DOWN; be prepared for moose to dart across the road. Slow down to protect our moose, particularly so they can accomplish this important evolutionary fall task!