MOOSE. The deer family (Cerviche) em braces not only all the round-horned deer, but also the caribou and moose, whose horns are flattened in a manner known as "palmation' Of this family, the American moose (Alces americanus) is the most colossal and also the most picturesque member. The moose of Europe and Asia, there called "elk" (q.v.), is much smaller animal. Even in comparison with the largest American elk, our moose, is a giant, and it is impossible to appreciate fully the great height and bulk, length of leg and size of antlers of this wonderful creature, without seeing a full-grown bull, either in his native wilds or mounted in a museum.
At nearly every point the species presents a peculiarity. The largest specimens ever shot and measured by naturalists stood from 78 to 84 inches in height at the shoulders. The body is very short in comparison with the great length of the legs, but the depth of the chest is unusually great. The end of the nose is flabby and pendulous, and overhangs the end of the chin by three or four inches. In browsing it is half prehensile, and is of great use in convey ing twigs into the mouth. A moose in full winter pelage is covered by a coarse thatch of straw-like hair, from three inches in length on the body to six inches on the neck and shoul ders. The color of the hair is purplish-gray, and for an animal which lives so far north, the pelage is exceptionally coarse and open.
The antlers of the moose are strikingly peculiar. The upper two-thirds of the beam is enormously flattened, often to a width of 12 inches or more, and the upper end of this great shovel of solid bone terminates in a row of from 6 to 12 short points. The single brow tine is also well palmated, and usually terminates in three or four long points of great strength. Occasionally the main shovel throws out sidewise a palmated spur of striking form and size, and such a head when seen front the front presents a choatic jumble of tines and palmations. The largest antlers known are in the Field Columbian Museum, and have a spread of 78 inches, greatest width of palmation 16 inches, thickness of palmation 2% inches, and a total of 34 points. The weight of the antlers and skull is 93% pounds. At least 25 pairs of antlers are known to exceed 70 inches in spread. The female has no antlers.
The moose is a browsing animal, and its favorite food consists of twigs of the willow, birch, hemlock, spruce, alder, aspen and maple. It also feeds upon moss, and in summer is very fond of wading in ponds and eating the stems and leaves of water-lilies. Because of their very
unusual feeding-habits, moose are very difficult to rear in captivity to adult age. About 90 per cent die of gastro-enteritis before they attain the age of three years. For this reason the market value of a live moose is far below its rarity and general desirability in a collection. Moose calves are born either singly or in pairs, in May or June. At birth an average specimen stands about 32 inches in height, and is a most grotesque-looking creature. Its first coat of hair is sanely-red, like that of a buffalo calf. At 15 months old, a healthy young animal is about five feet high at the shoulders. The weight of a large adult male moose is between 1,100 and 1,200 pounds, but the maximum weight for the species would probably reach 1,500 pounds.
The range of the moose extends from Nova Scotia and New Biunswicic to northern Alaska, a total distance along the axis of distribution of about 4,100 miles. This animal does not seem to have arrived in the United States, at least, before the final retreat of the ice of the last glacial age; and a somewhat different deer (see CERVALCES) probably preceded it.
' The valley of the Ottawa River and its trib utaries yet affords good hunting for moose, and so does northern Manitoba.
The species still exists in small numbers in northern Minnesota, and along the western slope of the Rockies as far south as the head of Green River, Wyoming, (lat. 43°). Northward, moose are found in British Columbia, Alberta, Athabasca, Yukon and in many portions of Alaska. Those found on the Kenai Peninsula and north of Cook Inlet have the most massive and widespreading ant lers to be found, and have even been described as an independent species, under the name of Alces gsgas.
Everywhere throughout its range, the killing of moose is regulated by law. The open sea sons are very short, the number that may be killed by each hunter is limited to one or two males, and the killing of females is forbidden. For the protection of the species in Alaska, Congress enacted in 1902 a stringent law, which will at least serve to prevent much of the reck less slaughter that up to that time had been proceeding. But, despite all laws that can be framed and enforced, the size of the moose, and its desirability, both as a hunter's trophy and for food, render it practically certain that the species will be destroyed far faster than it breeds, and that 25 years hence it will be as nearly extinct in America as the buffalo is to day. Consult bibliography under DEER and ELK.