The moose is Minnesota's largest wild animal, and Minnesota is one of the few states that have moose. The largest member of the deer family, the moose is commonly found in northwestern and northeastern Minnesota, often near the edge of ponds or lakes. A large moose may weigh 1,300 pounds. Its antlers sometimes measure five feet across and weigh up to 40 pounds.

Identification

General description: This big game animal is dark brown to black with a shoulder hump and a flap of skin or "bell" that hangs below its throat. It has long legs, big eyes and the males have antlers.

Length: Its body is nine to 10 feet long; at the shoulders, it stands six to six and a half feet.

Weight: 800 to 1,300 pounds.

Sounds: A very loud wail.

Reproduction

The moose mating season runs from late September to October. ln May or June, cows give birth to a 25- to 35-pound calf. Occasionally two calves are born. The calves remain with their mothers for 12 to 18 months. Within a week after birth, newborns are strong enough to walk and swim.

Food

Moose eat aspen, maple, and cherry trees and many kinds of water plants.

Predators

Wolves and bears hunt moose. Some people hunt moose for their meat and hide.

Habitat and range

The best moose habitat occurs in young forests created by logging, forest fires and windstorms in northeastern Minnesota. They also live in a mixture of woodlots and farm fields in northwestern Minnesota. During early summer, moose feed on water plants in ponds and along lake shores.

Population and management

There are about 4,600 moose in Minnesota. Each year, hunters harvest about five percent of the moose herd. In 1999, hunters took 135 moose. Minnesota had its first moose hunting season in 1887, but closed the season in 1922. After moose numbers rebuilt, moose hunting was reopened in 1971.

Fun facts

A moose can store more than 100 pounds of food in its stomach. It has weak eyesight and has mistaken cars for potential mates. Moose can run 35 mph and easily swim 10 miles without stopping. An adult moose weighs as much as four or five full-grown white-tailed deer.