The Mighty Canadian Moose

The Canadian Moose is a gargantuan creature of the forest to be highly respected and regarded.   The moose is a creature of the northern forests with a circumpolar distribution.  It is the largest of the deer family, largest of the world’s antlered creatures, and an impressive animal – as well as intelligent – wherever and whenever encountered.

The bull may weigh nearly 1300 pounds, stand seven feet high at the shoulders and carry on his head a set of antlers spreading across fully six feet or more. Watch out as they for king moose.   He stands on stilt-like legs, has a large hump on his shoulders, a long knobby face, and large ears and beneath the head hangs a foot-long “dewlap” or “bell” that seemingly seems of little or no purpose to the animal of the forest and tundra what so ever.  The moose also has a large overlapping upper lip.  The cow is similarly shaped except she is smaller, has no antlers and her bell is smaller overall.

It can be said that although the moose looks clumsy, it is a most graceful creature of movement – indeed it is capable of slipping into the thickest of bush and brush with scarcely a sound or pip squeak what so ever. It’s like a stealth animal – even in spite of its immense size and girth.  Indeed hikers into the forest and wilds sometimes will pause on a trail, when all of the sudden out of nowhere, out of complete blue a patch of dark fur moves in the bushes nearby and as they watch in amazement a most gigantic animal emerges quietly and almost silently out of the background bush to stare with its ever myopic eyes at what it considers intruders into its realm.

A moose with its full size and girth can well provide a major addition to an aboriginal Indian’s family food stores.  For this very reason moose were a major important animal and trusted source of food and nutrition to North American aboriginal “First Nations” historically, as well as later on in time to both early explorers and settlers.  In addition the moose even today remains a highly respected animal in the game industry and well in guided hunting lodge expeditions such as one might book at Lake Manitoba Narrows.

Yet it’s not only hunters that take their toll and tolls on Moose and the moose populations.  Moose themselves and their progeny face danger on highways and rail road tracks.  Sadly they frequently meet their demise and are killed along roads in Canada and northern United States regions.  For example on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska Highway deaths of these stately animals have run as high as 250 moose per year.

 

Jadran Transcona experienced hunting  guide in northern Manitoba & north-eastern Ontario natural life areas Ice fishingLake Manitoba Narrows season will soon arrive  Winnipegosis , Ashern east shores Minnewakan Scotch Bay Hayland Kinosta.