MORTALITY:  

A FEMALE MOOSE CROSSING THE ROAD

Predators of moose include black and brown bears, wolves, and mountain lions. They all would have a hard time predating on a healthy moose. A moose with antlers and or kicking hooves can be very dangerous or fatal to any mammal.

Cow with calves and sick and injured moose are the most vulnerable. Moose calves cannot defend themselves and have a hard time eluding predators the first month they are born. They don’t have the speed to elude predators.

Wolves are the biggest predator of moose. They are large and dangerous and form packs. In the winter when moose are weak from hunger wolves attack them. Moose have limited mobility if the snow is over three feet so they have trouble escaping.  Wolves have great mobility in the snow. Wolves watch and evaluate the health of a moose looking for a sick injured or young moose.  The wolves are usually unsuccessful nine out of ten times.

When bears come out of hibernation it is a hard time of year. They used most of their fat reserves and vegetation is not fully grown. They look for newborn calves of moose, deer, and elk, which is a major source of protein.

Many scavengers benefit from moose predation.  Wolves, coyotes, foxes, fishers, eagles, ravens etc will eat a dead moose. 

One of the greatest mortality factors for an unhunted population of adult moose is the meningeal worm, a parasite of white-tailed deer. This parasite attacks the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Although not fatal to white-tailed deer, it is deadly for moose. The parasite passes from deer through its feces, which are then eaten by snails. Moose obtain the parasite by inadvertently ingesting snails when browsing on vegetation.

They are vulnerable to hunters during hunting season.

Another common area of moose mortality is car accidents. In New Hampshire alone 200 to 250 moose-vehicle collisions occur every year. There are 650 or more in Maine. Vermont doesn't track the number of moose-auto collisions, but estimated more than 80 moose died in such accidents last year, up from zero in 1980.  

THE RUT:  

A BULL MOOSE CHECKING TO SEE IF THE COW IS IN HEAT

Moose are solitary animals. 

The strongest bond between moose is that of a mother to her calf. Though solitary, moose populations tend to follow the same migratory trends. Males and females separate most of the year except for the short breeding season (the rut). 

During the rut, bulls antlers start to grow testosterone increases and antlers harden. Bulls establish breeding territories by leaving urine scent marks. Cows move into area and eventually go into heat.  In more heavily forested the bulls have to search more and the females vocalize and urinate to indicate breeding status. Bulls use auditory and olfactory signals to find them. Once a bull finds a cow he may follow her for days.

They are not territorial. But if a bull finds another male they sometimes compete for females in elaborate shoving matches or just drive the other males away by intimidation. Occasionally fatal wounds are received. A majority of the bulls do not breed just mostly the dominate ones. The dominate ones have the best genes which helps with the overall success of the moose population.

It's a hard time of year for the males. they lose a lot of weight during the rut food is a second priority. They are more vulnerability to sickness and predation.

After they conceive they carry young for 230 days into the spring. They they give birth raise young thru late summer then renew cycle.

After rut the testosterone decreases and antlers shed.  

WINTER:

As winter approaches moose grow a thicker coat.

Availability of winter habitat is the most important factor limiting the size of a moose population. Moose need to winter in areas with less than three feet of snow and abundant willows, birch, and poplar shrubs. Shallow snow not only allows moose to move easily to good vegetation, but also makes them less vulnerable to predation. Moose try to conserve energy.

During the winter the moose feeds on berries, twigs and branches. They will eat the bark of trees and paw through the snow to get at the grass and twigs under the snow.

In winter, the Moose may herd, packing down snow to facilitate movement. Winter herding is not social behavior; rather, the Moose are congregating in favorable habitat.