Elk is a powerful master of native forests. What to do when meeting a Moose? Elk is a hunting and commercial animal (meat and leather)

Elk, or elk (lat. Alces alces) is an artiodactyl mammal, the largest species of the deer family.

Description

Elk is one of the largest species of modern deer. The body of an adult male can reach up to 3 meters in length, with a height at the withers of up to 240 cm and a weight of up to 600 kg. In its appearance, the elk is noticeably different from its closest relatives, the deer. This animal has very long legs, a powerful wide chest and a massive hook-nosed head. The swollen upper lip hangs noticeably over the lower lip. Moose ears are large and mobile. Under the animal’s throat hangs a leathery outgrowth of up to 40 cm, which is called an “earring”. Elk antlers have a short trunk and a wide, slightly concave blade. The spade, in turn, is surrounded by processes, which can be up to 18. However, the antlers of an elk have a variable design and may not even have a spade at all, like a regular deer. The body color of moose is black-brown, and the legs range from light gray to almost white. The color of moose serves a protective function and matches the color of the bark of trees in the surrounding forest. Therefore, the color shades of animals depend on their habitat. The winter coloration of moose is noticeably lighter than the summer coloration.

Male moose differ from females by their powerful antlers. In young moose, antlers (spokes) appear only a year and a half after birth. In the third year of life, they begin to branch, and only after that the characteristic moose shovel begins to appear. The animal's horns acquire their final shape only in the fifth year of life. Different subspecies of moose have antlers of different sizes and weights. Moreover, even individuals of the same subspecies can have horns of different designs and sizes. Their span reaches 180 cm, weight - 20-30 kg. The elk sheds its antlers annually in November - December and walks without them until April - May. Females are hornless.

The moose is often called elk because of its horns, which are shaped like a plow.

The East Siberian elk, unlike the European elk, has an elongated head and a narrow hook-nosed muzzle. The large upper lip hangs heavily over the lower lip. The fur of the East Siberian moose is colored black-brown at the end of the muzzle, the sides are painted in a darker color, which covers the abdominal part of the body. The groin area is lighter. Males have a brown stripe along the spine. The legs are grayish-yellow on the inside, and the coat is dark brown on the outside. The outgrowth, or so-called “earring,” which is located under the throat, reaches a length of about 40 centimeters. Western moose have a shorter "earring".

Spreading

The habitat of moose is very extensive. These animals are very common in northern forests Europe, Asia, North America. In certain periods of past years, the number of moose for various reasons decreased significantly, however, through the efforts of zoologists and some states, their number was restored and increased. Today moose live in European countries: Russia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Finland. In Asia, moose are common in China and Mongolia. On the North American continent, moose live in Canada.

The East Siberian elk is distributed in Siberia, east of the Yenisei River and on Far East, with the exception of the Amur and Ussuri regions. Before the onset of winter, the fur of elk calves is colored in red-gray shades.

Lifestyle

Elk is a sedentary animal. Elks rise from their beds only to feed, and then lie down again until the next meal. They lead an active lifestyle only during the rut, when males show aggression and can be dangerous even to humans. With the end of the mating season, the animals again become calm to the point of phlegmatism. Despite the apparent monotony, the life of moose has its own characteristics. IN different time years, for example, these forest giants behave in different ways. Moose can create temporary herds, wander from place to place, change the composition of the food supply and methods of obtaining food. Winter in the life of moose is divided into two periods: light snow and heavy snow.

Moose inhabit various forests, willow thickets along the banks of steppe rivers and lakes, and in the forest-tundra they stay in birch and aspen forests. In the steppe and tundra in summer they are found far from the forest, sometimes hundreds of kilometers away. The presence of swamps is of great importance for moose, quiet rivers and lakes, where in summer they feed on aquatic vegetation and escape the heat. In winter, moose need mixed and coniferous forests with dense undergrowth. In that part of the range where the snow cover is no more than 30-50 cm high, moose live sedentary; where it reaches 70 cm, they make transitions to less snowy areas for the winter. The transition to wintering areas is gradual and lasts from October to December-January. Females with elk calves go first, adult males and females without elk calves come last. Moose travel 10-15 km a day. Reverse, spring migrations occur during snow melting and in the reverse order: adult males come first, females with elk calves come last.

It is most convenient to begin describing the sequence of seasons in the life of moose in the fall, when young yearlings become independent, and adults gain fat on the eve of winter. The autumn transition period lasts about a month and represents the transition from summer to winter feeds. The features and timing of this transition period are determined by the climatic conditions in the given area of animal habitat.

In winter, moose prefer coniferous and mixed forests. Moose lead a sedentary lifestyle when the snow cover is from 30 to 50 cm high. If the snow is deep - 70 or more centimeters, moose migrate to less snowy areas. December – January is the time when moose leave for their wintering grounds. Females with young animals are the first to leave for the winter, followed by childless females and males. At the same time, within one day, moose travel 10–15 kilometers. When the snow begins to melt, animals leave their wintering grounds. In this case, the males set off first, followed by the females with their offspring.

In summer, due to the heat and blood-sucking insects, moose lead an active life at night, and during the day they lie down in wind-blown meadows and swamps. In winter, on the contrary, animals feed during the day and spend the night lying down. When severe frost sets in, moose can bury themselves in the snow so that only their heads remain outside. IN middle lane In Russia, moose prefer to winter in the thickets of young pine forests, while in Siberia these animals winter in willow forests or young birch groves located near rivers.

Moose run fast, up to 56 km/h; swim well. While looking for aquatic plants, they can keep their heads under water for more than a minute. They defend themselves from predators by striking their front legs. Of the sense organs, the moose has the best developed hearing and smell; poor vision - motionless standing man he cannot see at a distance of a few tens of meters.

Reproduction

Males and single females live alone or in small groups of 3-4 animals. In summer and winter, adult females walk with elk calves, forming groups of 3-4 heads, sometimes males and single females join them, forming a herd of 5-8 heads. In the spring these herds disperse.

The elk's rut occurs in the same season as the deer's - in September-October and is accompanied by the characteristic dull roar of the males ("moaning"). During the rut, males and females are excited and aggressive, and can even attack a person. Males engage in fights, sometimes to the death. Unlike most deer, elk are conditionally monogamous, rarely mating with more than one female.

During mating season, male moose do not collect harems like other deer species. During the rutting period, males are very excited, break branches with their horns, dig holes with their hooves, look for females and follow them, driving away competitors and sometimes getting into a fight with them. At this time, the moose to a greater extent males lose their inherent caution and cease to be afraid of people, which creates the feeling that in the fall there are noticeably more moose in the forest. The mating season lasts about two months and ends in October or November. Females reach sexual maturity by the second or third autumn, and males a year later.

Pregnancy of females lasts approximately 230 days, after which the moose cow gives birth to one or two cubs. This happens in April or May. It should be noted that in paired litters, one moose calf often dies. Elk calves are born a solid light red color and remain in the place of their birth for about a week, and then begin to walk with their mother. At the same time, they are already beginning to feed on the leaves of aspen and birch trees. But they are not yet able to get grass during this period due to their long legs. Only at the age of one month do moose calves learn to kneel down and eat grass when feeding. The female feeds the moose calves with milk until they are about 4 months old. Moose milk is 3-4 times fatter than cow's milk, and its protein content is 5 times higher. During the day, the elk calf consumes 1–2 liters of milk. The young animals grow quickly and by the first autumn the elk calves reach a weight of about 130 kg, and sometimes up to 200 kg.

Moose become sexually mature at 2 years of age. After 12 years, the moose begins to age; In nature, moose older than 10 years are no more than 3%. In captivity they live up to 20-22 years.

Nutrition

Moose feed on trees, shrubs and herbaceous vegetation, as well as mosses, lichens and fungi. In summer they eat leaves, reaching them from a considerable height thanks to their growth; feed on aquatic and near-aquatic plants (watch, marigold, egg capsules, water lilies, horsetails), as well as tall grasses in burnt areas and cutting areas - fireweed, sorrel. At the end of summer, they look for cap mushrooms, branches of blueberries and lingonberries with berries. From September they begin to bite off shoots and branches of trees and shrubs and by November they almost completely switch to twig food. The main winter food for moose includes willow, pine (in North America- fir), aspen, rowan, birch, raspberry; in the thaw they gnaw the bark. During the day, an adult moose eats: about 35 kg of food in summer, and 12-15 kg in winter; per year - about 7 tons. In large numbers, moose damage forest nurseries and plantings. Elks visit salt licks almost everywhere; In winter they even lick salt off highways.

Economic importance

Elk is a hunting and commercial animal (meat and leather).

In Russia and Scandinavia, attempts have been made to domesticate and use moose as a riding and dairy animal, but the difficulty of keeping them makes this economically impractical. There were 7 moose farms in the USSR, currently there are two - the moose farm of the Pechora-Ilychsky Nature Reserve in the village of Yaksha and the Sumarokovskaya moose farm in the Kostroma region. These experiments are reflected in the film by A. Zguridi “The Tale of forest giant" Both moose farms state Tours are available at the farms.

Elks, with their large numbers in a given area, destroy a lot of forest undergrowth and cause damage to forest plantations. Moreover, the forests various types, moose cause damage of varying nature and magnitude. However, people often exaggerate the damage these animals cause to forests. Specially conducted studies eloquently demonstrate that the damage caused by moose does not significantly affect the life of forests. This naturally applies to those cases when the number of moose in a given area does not exceed some acceptable values. If the number of moose becomes too high, then it becomes necessary to regulate it.

Protection of moose, limiting their shooting (by the way, you can read about how you can hunt moose in a pen), as well as favorable environmental conditions - all this contributes to the growth of the moose population. Therefore, it is not surprising that more and more often our hunters declare that they have had the opportunity to meet this animal in the thicket of the forest. We invite you to learn more about such forest inhabitants as moose, about their habits and whether they harm green spaces - we invite you to learn about all this from our new publication...

Moose habitats

What do moose eat?

Spring diet of moose

At this time, their diet consists of succulent herbaceous plants - dandelion, fireweed, angelica, blueberries, lingonberries, speedwell, rattle and other plants and berries. Moose can also eat aquatic and marsh plants, such as horsetail, calamus, frogwort, loosestrife, marigold and sedge. Entering the water, the elk takes out the fleshy rhizomes of water lilies and egg capsules from the bottom.

Summer diet of moose

In summer and spring, the elk’s diet also includes young shoots of aspen, rowan, willow and bird cherry. Scientists managed to find out that special meaning the diet of this animal consists of strong-smelling and poisonous plants- wormwood, tansy, mint, marigold, marigold. Moose can also eat mushrooms, especially red fly agaric mushrooms. At the same time, in the diet of an elk you will never find cereals, sedges, legumes - in other words, the elk does not eat the main components that make up hay.

Autumn diet of moose

In the fall, the elk's diet is filled with tree food, and by the end of the season the animal moves to its winter pastures, which can be located at a considerable distance. It is noteworthy that, as a rule, during the winter period of the year, moose unite in small herds of 8-10 animals. And their main winter food is thin shoots of young trees, as well as tree bark.

However, highest value The diet of this ungulate still includes young aspen and willow trees, and they choose those that are no older than 12-18 years. At the same time, elk can remove bark from middle-aged trees, but they eat the bark of coniferous trees - pine and juniper - more readily than the bark of other trees. It is also characteristic that moose eat trees at a height of 80-240 centimeters from the ground. And, the straight and chisel-shaped incisors of animals allow them to withstand strong pressure and tear off the bark from trees without touching its woody layers. But now, with a frost of 5 degrees, the elk can no longer peel the bark from the tree, since it is very difficult and difficult to peel off from the frozen trunk. In winter, moose also often eat rowan bark and its shoots, oak branches and bark, young hazel shoots, birch bark and shoots. Read here about.

Scientists were able to establish that an adult elk eats up to 15 kilograms of twig food per day.

Winter diet of moose

When winter comes and deep snow falls, the mobility of this animal decreases, and the elk mostly lies in the snow and chews cud to satisfy its hunger.

Based on the above, we can conclude that in the diet of moose, not 4, but 5 feeding seasons can be distinguished - these are summer, autumn, the season of little snow winter, which occurs in the first half of winter, the second half of winter and the spring season.

Moose pests

In one day, an elk can eat shoots from an average of 90-100 trees or shrubs, which it feeds on approximately 200-220 days a year. Thus,

per year, one animal eats up to 22,000 trees and shrubs.

At the same time, the extent of damage to trees depends on the number of animals, the forage productivity of the land itself and the duration of grazing of animals on such land. In addition, such indirect facts as the protection of land, age, completeness, composition and growing conditions of such plantings are also important.

With the increase in the number of moose, one can increasingly hear words that these animals are causing harm to the forest. In some areas they interfere with the natural processes of pine renewal and harm those crops that are located in the subzone mixed forests. Especially noticeable damage is caused to forestry where animals bite the side and top shoots of young trees and break their trunks. The increase in annual shoots as a result of this in heavily damaged trees is only 12-20%, which is very little. And, if moose bite the shoots a second time, then irreparable damage is caused to the trees.

Elks act as carriers of helminths

The harm that helminths cause to the body of moose, and those, in turn, to humans, is quite great. Unfortunately, until recently it was generally accepted that the most effective method The fight against epizootics in ungulates is their intensive shooting (read here for details). But recent research proves that thinking this way is fundamentally wrong. It is also not correct to say that reducing the number of animals itself can become an effective method of combating epizootics. In fact, it is simply necessary to improve the methods of prevention and therapy for deworming wild animals, to strive to ensure that the risk of infestation of domestic animals is reduced to a minimum. As practice shows, it is much more effective to deal with intermediate hosts helminths - mollusks than with their carriers themselves. Then, there will be a decrease in the invasive material itself in forest lands, and as a result, the percentage of infection among wild animals will also automatically decrease.

To do this, it is necessary to carry out only in dry places, and to eliminate dangerous concentrations of animals in places where the risk of infection is very high.

Causes of moose pests

As for the harmful activities of these ungulates in the forest, as we have already written about this earlier, in most cases it arises as a result of a violation of the natural relationship between the animal and the forest. In other words, the cause of the harm caused is that the food supply of the elk changes as a result economic use lands and increased magnification the density of the animals themselves. At the same time, biological density should not be confused with economic density. The first determines the quality of the population, and the second determines the extent of damage to the forest.

Optimal Moose Population Density

But, nevertheless, as practice and experience show, most often severe damage to young pine trees and other crops is observed where there is an uncontrolled density of animals. Thus, earlier specialist A. Kozlovsky defined the concept of optimal density of moose in the forest as their highest number, at which there is no economic harm in the form of noticeable damage to tree and shrub species. And, the sheer number of moose numbers ensures good and quality condition animal populations. So, for example,

At the same time, in forest areas, willows, junipers and rowan trees are additionally planted, as well as trees and shrubs of other species that are included in the diet of moose.

In our country, until recently, this density was an average of 7-8 animals per 1000 hectares. This, according to experts, is really a lot. Therefore, in order to eliminate the possibility of harmful activities of moose, it is necessary to constantly regulate the state of their food supply and monitor its compliance with the animal population indicator. Experts believe that The optimal density for our forests will be considered a livestock of 3 heads, which will account for 1000 hectares of forest.

What do moose eat?

Moose find the most food in the summer. A huge amount grows in the tundra moss and various lichens. Even more food can be found in the taiga.

And on the banks of reservoirs they grow water lilies and horsetails, which these animals also do not disdain.

Moose in autumn begin to eat bush branches or fallen foliage

It's not easy for the elk in the winter season. They are looking for branches and bark. Helps them with this high growth, which allows you to reach high branches. In winter, moose hide in coniferous forests, where they can also find enough food. Only with the onset of a thaw do they begin to gnaw the bark.

In spring they eat snowdrops and lilies of the valley. If you're lucky, the eagles will happily feast on the freshest willow shoots, young pine needles or birch catkins. Fresh young grass is another part of their spring diet.

What else do moose like?

Moose love mushrooms, so they diligently look for them when autumn comes. Most of all they like white and boletus. Adult moose remember mushroom places to visit there again and again. The most interesting thing is that these animals eat fly agarics. It doesn't have any effect negative influence on their body. All necessary Moose get their vitamins from various berries. For example:

cowberry;
blueberry;
raspberries;
blackberry.

The animal tries to properly eat fat in the summer in order to survive the winter without any problems.

Moose cannot live without salt, so they are trying by all means to find her. If they find salt licks, they immediately begin to lick the soil to get this mineral. Moose have to go out on the roads in winter, knowing that salt forms on the asphalt surface.

The elk love to live close to various bodies of water, because they have their favorite delicacy - seaweed. The animal can hold its breath, so it dives after them on its own.

what does moose eat?

In general, the elk is a herbivore, and it eats whatever it wants in the forest. But the delicacy for moose is ordinary salt!
Elk is a forest animal, eats plants: moss, mushrooms
elk is a herbivore.
Moose feed on trees, shrubs and herbaceous vegetation, as well as mosses, lichens and fungi. In summer they eat leaves, reaching them from a considerable height thanks to their growth; feed on aquatic and semi-aquatic plants (watch, marigold, egg capsules, water lilies, horsetails), as well as tall grasses in burnt areas and cutting areas, fireweed, sorrel. At the end of summer, they look for cap mushrooms, branches of blueberries and lingonberries with berries. From September they begin to bite off shoots and branches of trees and shrubs and by November they almost completely switch to twig food. The main winter food for moose includes willow, pine (fir in North America), aspen, rowan, birch, raspberry, buckthorn; in the thaw they gnaw the bark. In a day, an adult moose eats: about 35 kg of food in summer, and 1215 kg in winter; about 7 tons per year. With large numbers, moose damage forest nurseries and plantings. Elks visit salt licks almost everywhere; In winter they even lick salt off highways.
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose
Moose feed on a wide variety of herbaceous plants, trees and shrubs, mosses, lichens and fungi. Moose food is most varied in summer; the poorest set of feeds in winter. Leaves of trees and shrubs are the main food for moose in summer time. Having grabbed the branch with his lips, the elk tears off all the leaves from it. Moose eat best the leaves of aspen, rowan, willow, birch, buckthorn, bird cherry, maple, and ash. Animals willingly feed in the fall even on fallen leaves. Moose like to feed on aquatic and peri-water herbaceous plants, such as watchwort, marigold, egg capsules, water lilies, horsetails, as well as tall grasses in burnt areas and cutting areas, umbelliferous, fireweed, sorrel, etc. At the end of summer, moose look for cap mushrooms and blueberry branches and lingonberries with berries. In the fall, usually in September, moose begin to bite shoots and branches of trees and shrubs and by November they switch almost entirely to feeding on twig food. The main winter foods include willow, pine (fir in North America), aspen, rowan, birch, raspberry, and buckthorn. At the same time, moose eat shoots of both deciduous trees and pine to the same extent: the latter do not constitute forced food for moose.

In trees and shrubs, moose bite off shoots usually up to 10 mm thick. The bark, mainly of young aspen and pine trees, is gnawed throughout the winter, but only during the thaw. Elk are very flexible in their diet and use an extremely diverse range of food in different parts of their range. Often, some food that is readily eaten by elk, for example, pine in the European part of the range, is almost not used at all by elk in Eastern Siberia. Uneven consumption of the same plants may depend both on their chemistry, the amount of nutrients, such as carbohydrates, and on the degree of availability and abundance of other foods. An adult moose eats about 35 kg of food per day in summer, and 1215 kg in winter. In total, about 7 tons are eaten per year, of which about 4 tons are shoots of deciduous and coniferous species, about 1.5 tons are leaves of trees and shrubs, about 700 kg of bark, and the same amount are herbaceous plants and shrubs. Since moose consume a lot of tree and shrub food, their large numbers spoil a lot of undergrowth and damage forest nurseries.
http://www.floranimal.ru/pages/animal/l/265.html
The elk's diet includes a lot of plant food, including young shoots of plants (shrubs, trees), mushrooms, etc. In the winter season, the bark of trees (mainly aspen) and also thin young branches of trees. In summer, it does not disdain laying eggs from birds nesting on the ground.
Plants, branches, mushrooms
tree bark

Attention, TODAY only!

Feeding moose

Moose food consists of lichens, moss, mushrooms, trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. In summer, the moose's diet becomes richer. Feeding on the foliage of bushes and trees, the animal, pulling a branch towards itself with its lips, eats all the foliage from it. The moose's favorite food is the leaves of rowan, aspen, birch, willow, bird cherry, buckthorn, ash and maple. They do not disdain fallen leaves. The elk's diet includes aquatic and semi-aquatic plants - marigold, watchwort, water lilies, egg capsules, horsetails.
Cutting areas and burnt areas attract animals with an abundance of fireweed, sorrel and umbelliferous species of grasses.

Closer to autumn they can feast on cap mushrooms, berry sprigs of lingonberries, blueberries. With the onset of September, animals try to bite off young shoots and branches from trees, and by November their diet consists entirely of twig food.

Moose's winter food includes twigs of pine, willow, rowan, aspen, buckthorn, raspberry, and birch.

North American moose also consume fir. The thickness of the bitten shoots does not exceed 1 cm. During the winter thaw, moose feast on the bark of young pine and aspen trees. This animal is characterized by plasticity in nutrition, therefore, depending on its habitat, the composition of the feed changes.

It has been noticed that moose inhabiting the European regions of their range eat pine, which the moose of Eastern Siberia do not want to eat.

Depending on the chemical composition and the nutrient content of the plant, it will be eaten by elk quite unevenly. During the day, an elk can eat up to 35 kg of various food, but in winter - no more than 11-15 kg.
Thus, in a year one animal will consume almost 7 tons of food and of this amount, 4 tons will come from tree shoots; 1.5 tons for foliage of shrubs and trees; 0.7 tons for bark and the remaining kilograms for shrubs and grass. It becomes clear that the greater the number of moose in certain place habitat, the greater the damage they cause to undergrowth and forest nurseries. But the damage caused by moose is often unreasonably exaggerated. According to recent studies, it becomes clear that the damage caused by animals has almost no effect on the formation of the future forest, provided that the population is small per unit area, which is achieved by regulating the number of moose. In places where salt licks come to the surface, moose often come to drink salty water, lick stones and gnaw on the brackish soil.

Elk: description and habitat. What does moose eat? Moose hunting

June 30, 2011 Hunting and fishing, Hoofed animals

Description and habitats of moose

Elk is the largest representative of wild ungulates common in Russia. It covers zones from steppes to tundra and even semi-desert, where, of course, it just stops for a while. Main and permanent places Moose habitats are areas near swamps, forested ravines, forest islands in the middle of fields, and river valleys.

The average weight of the average moose is 570 kilograms (the record maximum is 655 kilograms), height is about 2.4 meters. For example, if a calf is born in the summer, then by autumn it already gains about one hundredweight. The largest moose are found in Eastern Siberia, the European part is inhabited by medium-sized moose, and in the south of the Far East small individuals live - with an average weight of males of 200 kilograms. The Far Eastern representatives of elk are notable for the fact that they (except for the Penzhina ones) do not have a “shovel” - the so-called expansion on the horns. The span of elk antlers does not exceed a meter, and their weight reaches from 5 to 6 kilograms.

What does moose eat?

Moose are both diurnal and nocturnal animals; they do not like midges and heat, so during the day they hide up to their necks in swamps and lakes or live in well-ventilated meadows and clearings, and also climb into abundant thickets of young coniferous trees in search of salvation from insects. Moose have the ability to swim and are able to travel 2 or 3 kilometers across water without stopping. During severe winter frosts, moose feed only during daylight hours, with frequent breaks to rest. When night falls, the eagles lie down until dawn. Salt licks are a particular passion of moose. Moose mainly feed on green plants.

Moose hunting

Moose hunting with dogs

Laikas are chosen for moose hunting with dogs., on whose working qualities the success of elk hunting depends - first of all, they must be able to detain the elk and prevent it from leaving. Well-trained dogs run ahead of the animal and bark at it, diverting all attention to themselves. At this time, the hunter only has to approach the elk at a distance accessible for the shot. But since the elk is resistant to wounds, you must aim at it with certainty and shoot from no more than 50 steps with a smoothbore gun.

When hunting elk with dogs, there are also a number of prohibitions on elk hunting: You cannot shoot them during the frost period, at the time of crossing rivers and other bodies of water, or by driving them onto an icy surface of the water. Extermination hunting of elk using crossbows, trapping pits and snares is also prohibited.

Moose hunting from the approach

Moose hunting from the approach is popular at the very beginning of the season, in shallow snow. The most successful moose hunting occurs on days with light snowfall and in windy, damp weather. To do this, hunters simply walk through the lands, peering closely at the moose’s feeding areas. Usually these are areas with a wide view and more or less open areas:

floodplains;
swampy vast lowlands;
old fellings;
overgrown burnt areas.

Having spotted a feeding elk, the shooter hides it, taking into account the direction of the wind and natural landscape cover. Camouflage clothing and binoculars are very useful in hunting elk from the approach.

When chasing an elk, hunters act a little differently: for example, knowing that the animal’s bed is somewhere nearby, several shooters overtake the elk and move towards it, and the remaining hunter sits at its trail. If in this situation the elk does not allow those in front to approach him even for a shot, then he will probably go back along his own trail, and the shooter left behind will only have to seize the right moment and kill the elk.

Moose hunting by roundup

Moose hunting by round-up is the most common. The most convenient area for moose hunting is an area with mixed lands, since it is much more difficult to hunt elk in continuous forest areas. Where the number of moose is very large, a roundup is often carried out without paying for the animals in advance.

But before starting the hunting process itself, the tract is first studied to make sure that there is elk there and in what quantity. For elk, exit and entry tracks are tracked and kept. The hunters' attention zone should include trails, roads, sight lines, clearings - but in such a way as not to frighten off the elk itself. It is also worth considering that during severe cold and deep snow, the daily movements of these animals are quite insignificant, so the number of noticed tracks may not coincide with the actual number of moose. Most often in winter, moose occupy an area of no more than 1 hectare and are located somewhere in a lowland or in a swamp, which is overgrown with small bushes.

In such a situation, the hunting efficiency of hunters depends solely on the knowledge of the area by the main handler. When the elk have already been surrounded, he sets the shooters to their numbers, which were drawn by lot, and forms the beaters in a chain. When choosing a rut trajectory, he takes into account the direction the wind is blowing, standard elk crossing paths and their entrance tracks. It is prohibited to drive elk into the wind and place shooters so that the wind will blow away from them. In the first case, the animal will simply break through the side strip, in the second, it will sense the presence of a person and run in a different direction. Therefore, the best elk rut is half-wind.

To reduce the lateral lines, hunters on the edges must move forward a little, which will reduce the coverage area and narrow the scope of the elk, which are in a closed perimeter.

If flags are used in a raid, they are pulled from the sides of the trim strip and hung approximately at chest level. But it is still worth considering that they do not have a deterrent effect on all animals and may not deter moose during the intense rut.

During a moose hunt, hunters must stand still and be extremely attentive to everything that is happening around them, so as not to inadvertently miss their prey. In addition, when they see an approaching elk, they should not immediately raise their gun - it is preferable to wait for the most convenient moment, when the elk approaches the optimal distance for a shot.

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What do we owe our parents?

Elk

Elk (male).

Moose.

Elk(elongated) is a large artiodactyl mammal belonging to the deer family.

Appearance of a moose

Male moose are much larger than females. Their body length can reach 3 m and height up to 2.4 m, body weight ranges from 350 to 600 kg. In some regions of Russia and Canada, these animals reach a weight of up to 650 kg. By appearance moose are very different from other members of their family. He has a relatively short neck and body and a rather high withers, reminiscent of a hump. Its legs are long, and in order to quench its thirst, the animal is forced to go quite deep into the water or kneel on its front legs. The moose's head is very large, characteristically hook-nosed, with a large and fleshy upper lip. Under the throat there is a leathery outgrowth, which is often called an earring, reaching 30-40 cm in length. The coat is quite coarse, brownish-gray in color, the legs are light, sometimes almost white.

Males have very large horns (the largest of all modern mammals) which can reach 180 cm in span and weigh up to 30 kg. The animal sheds them every year at the end of autumn or early winter and walks hornless until spring. Female moose do not have antlers.

The moose is called the elk because of the shape of its horns, which resemble a plow.

Distribution and subspecies of moose

Elk are widespread in many forest areas Northern Hemisphere, it can be found much less often in forest-steppes and steppes. In Europe, populations of this animal are found in Central Russia, in the north of Ukraine, in Poland, the Czech Republic, the Baltic states, Belarus, as well as in Scandinavia. In North America, it is found in Canada, Alaska and the northeastern United States.

About 730 thousand individuals live in Russia, and about one and a half million on the planet.

According to various sources, it forms from 4 to 8 subspecies. The largest animals belong to the Alaskan and East Siberian subspecies. And the smallest elk belongs to the Ussuri.

Moose lifestyle and nutrition

Elks inhabit all kinds of forests; on the banks of steppe lakes and rivers they can be found in thickets of willow trees, and in the forest-tundra along aspen and birch forests. In the steppe and tundra, these animals can be seen far from the forest. The presence of bodies of water is of great importance for them, where they feed on aquatic vegetation and escape from the heat. In winter, these animals prefer conifers and mixed forests. Where the snow cover is no more than 50 centimeters high, they live sedentary, and in other snowier regions, for the winter they move to where less snow. Migration to wintering areas usually occurs in late autumn. Females with cubs move first, followed by males. They are able to walk 10-15 kilometers a day. Reverse migrations take place in the spring during the period of snow melting.

These animals do not have strictly defined periods of rest and feeding. It all depends on the season. In summer they are predominantly nocturnal animals, and in winter they are active during the day. The location of their camps directly depends on the availability of feeding places. IN Central Russia these are young pine forests, in Siberia there are willow or birch thickets, and in the Far East there are sparse coniferous forests. Several animals can be in one stall at the same time. It was noticed that in some small areas 100 or more moose gathered.

Moose feed on all kinds of herbaceous, shrub and woody vegetation, mosses, fungi and lichens. In the summer they take out leaves from tall trees, feed on semi-aquatic and aquatic plants and grasses. And by the end of autumn they switch to branch feed. During the thaw period, moose gnaw the bark. In one day, an adult moose eats about 30 kg. feed, in winter about 15 kg. This amounts to more than 7 tons per year. With huge numbers, they can damage plantings and forest nurseries. Moose very often visit salt licks, and in winter they lick salt from the roads.

These animals run and swim well. In addition, they can stay under water for more than a minute. They have very well developed hearing and sense of smell, but rather poor vision. They defend themselves from predators by striking their strong front legs.

Moose attack people very rarely; as a rule, this happens when approaching cubs or other irritating factors.

Social structure and reproduction of moose

Single females and males live separately, and only occasionally in groups of 4-5 animals. In winter and summer, females live with elk calves, occasionally they are joined by single individuals, but by spring such a herd disintegrates.

The elk rut occurs in the fall and is accompanied by the characteristic roar of the males. During the rut, these animals are very aggressive and can attack people. Males stage bloody fights, often ending in the death of one of the rivals. These animals are monogamous and rarely mate with more than one female.

Pregnancy in a female lasts about 235 days. One elk calf is born in a litter; occasionally, older females may have twins. Babies get on their feet immediately after their birth, and after a couple of days they can move freely. They become sexually mature at approximately 2 years. In nature they live on average about 10 years, and in captivity they live up to 22 years.

Economic purpose of moose

Elk is a hunting and commercial animal. In some countries they tried to domesticate this animal, but it was never successful due to the difficulty of keeping it. Although in Russia there are two moose farms left since the times of the USSR: Kostroma and Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve. Moose milk is very similar to cow milk, fattier, and that is why it is often used for medicinal purposes. Moose meat is much tastier than meat other deer - it is softer and more tender.

Moose numbers

The number of animals is negatively affected by poaching, disease and injury to animals, which often cause their death, as well as the destruction of moose by predators.

The annual mortality rate in adult animals is about 7-16%, and among young animals, in the first year of life, up to 50%. Bears and wolves hunt moose, and their prey is usually old, sick and young animals. Wolves are not dangerous for strong and mature individuals. Moose are most often affected by tapeworms, which infect nervous system animal, as well as ticks. Quite often they are hit by cars, and quite often the motorists themselves suffer.

Photo of moose

Another photo of a moose.

Moose and people

In some regions, moose are not particularly afraid of approaching people's houses. Here's the evidence:

Domestication of moose

The first attempts to domesticate moose were made in 1949, when for the first time an experimental moose farm was organized on the basis of the Pechora-Ilych Biosphere Reserve (Komi Republic). Its organizers were researchers G. G. Shubin and E. P. Knorre. Initially, the core of this farm was 25 moose.

Over the 50 years of its existence, over 400 individuals were raised. Part of the offspring (47 moose) was transferred to new moose farms, which were organized in Bashkiria, Kostroma and Gorky regions, as well as abroad. And the result of studying the life activity and habits of elk was more than 76 scientific papers.

The functioning of the moose farm was of great importance in the study of this animal. Scientists have completely developed new technique keeping and feeding the elk, as well as hand milking it. The animals were easily tamed, and there were no cases of domesticated moose going wild.

The initial technique for taming moose was imprinting. Its essence is to imprint in the memory of newborn elk calves certain actions associated with humans (for example, hand feeding, directed education, keeping in groups with controlled free grazing all year round).

The elk's main food was logging waste from existing cutting areas. Young animals and lactating elk cows were given supplementary food (compound feed, potatoes, green food).

The lifespan of an elk is about 20 years, of which 17 years they are able to give birth. Average pregnancy rate - 1.54 (due to 229 calvings, 354 calves were born).

Moose meat is consumed as food, and the animal’s milk is rich in various nutrients(fats, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, microelements). It is often used in the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract). During one lactation period, which lasts approximately 4 months, a moose cow produces about 500 liters of milk. A biologically active substance is isolated from elk antlers (antlers), which is used in pharmacy.

Difficulties encountered in domesticating moose

Although moose can be tamed quite quickly, there are a number of difficulties in their domestication.

An interesting fact from the life of the animal is that in the summer the elk is able to actively move only at night, since fast running in the heat raises its body temperature to almost 40 o C, which threatens the animal with heat stroke. But in winter, the elk is active almost around the clock.

This unusual thermoregulation is a consequence of the animal’s taiga lifestyle. The elk always lived and developed in conditions cold winter. Summer in the taiga was cool, and the animal was constantly harassed by blood-sucking insects. To escape from them, instead of the usual sweat of a liquid consistency, the animal developed grease - a kind of natural repellent.

Its oily structure meant that when it came into contact with insect stings, sweat clogged them. Thus, the blood-sucking insects died from suffocation. However, in the hot summer, when there are especially many horseflies, they manage to sting the animal in places where there are no sweat glands. Fat has and negative consequence for elk - it prevents the body from cooling, so after heating quickly it cools down slowly.

In winter, the elk’s body switches to a different mode of operation. After an animal sheds in the fall, its sweat glands close, retaining body heat. Additional thermal insulation is provided by hollow wool, creating an air layer. The heat remains inside the animal's body.

In winter, elk's breathing slows down. He breathes only 11 times per minute (in summer - three times more often). Fearing hypothermia, in severe frosts or snowfall, the animal is almost completely immersed in the snow, only the ears and the upper part of the withers stick out. If the animal's body temperature drops below 34 o C, the animal will not be able to warm up on its own and will simply die.

Moose speed

The chest of the artiodactyl is powerful, and the shoulder girdle is equally powerful. The legs are quite long, moderately thick, but with narrow hooves. This suggests that moose run well and are not forest bumpkins at all. The speed of an elk can reach 70 km/h, so when asked who runs faster, an elk or a deer, the primacy can be given to the elk. But the speed of a deer develops only up to 55 km/h. If we compare who covers the distance faster, a lion or an elk, then the elk loses. Eagles are also excellent swimmers - if necessary, they can swim up to 20 km continuously, but deer cannot boast of this.

The animal's fur is quite coarse, but the undercoat is soft. The animal prepares thoroughly for winter - its fur lengthens by about 10 cm, which prevents it from freezing in winter. The hair on the neck and withers is longer, so it appears as if there is a mane. The color of the elk is very interesting - in appearance it looks almost black, the brown color of its fur is so rich. In the lower part of the body, in the abdomen area, you can see a light brown color, which creates a beautiful ombre. The elk's legs have characteristic white “socks”. In the summer, the animal becomes darker, but by winter the coat becomes a little lighter.

Here is a visual video of a moose running across a field:

Horns

The biggest pride of a moose is its antlers. It was because of them that he became prey for humans. Even in ancient times, elk antlers in the house were considered the main prey of a hunter; they were a symbol of dexterity and good luck in hunting. The weight of such horns can reach an average of 20 kg and this is not surprising, because their span is almost two meters.

The base of the horns is a short trunk and a spade-shaped branch on which 18 branches are located. The elk's horns are individual. The size and location of the processes are distinctive features between animals. Usually the adult representative has the most massive and heaviest shoots, but a small moose can boast of its horns only after its first birthday. Initially they are soft, the base is covered with thin skin and short, delicate fur.

During this period, young individuals suffer from insect bites as they bite through the horns, reaching the blood vessels running inside. After about a year or so, the horns harden so much that active blood circulation in the tissues stops. From this moment on, the horns grow in width, and after five years the width of the shovel will be significantly larger than the shoots. At this age, the horns of a young individual become similar in shape to the horns of an adult.

Usually by the onset of winter the animal sheds its antlers. This is an absolutely painless procedure that brings him relief. To free itself from its antlers, the elk actively rubs them against trees, after which the antlers fall off. In the spring it grows new antlers, which harden in July. By the way, only males have horns, while females are deprived of such decoration.

"The moose has shed its antlers." Author: Theresa Holiday

"Abandoned elk antlers." Author: William Jacobson

There is an opinion that antlers are needed to protect the elk in the forest from other animals, but this is not true. The main purpose of the horns is to attract a female mating season and protecting her from other males. As the mating season passes, the horns become unnecessary. Shedding antlers for winter makes wintering much easier - it is easier for the animal to move around and find shelter.

The immediate cause of horn loss is a decrease in the amount of sex hormones produced in the animal’s body. As a result of hormone deficiency, special cells are activated at the base of the horns that can have a destructive effect on bone tissue. It is thanks to their work that the horns weaken significantly and then disappear altogether. The elk's horns become an important food source for forest animals - squirrels, birds and predatory animals eat the protein, which is contained in abundance in the horns.

Where does moose live?

Moose live mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. Previously, European countries allowed the shooting of moose, so a century and a half ago there were practically no moose left. Accepted on the territory of Russia environmental laws, thanks to which the moose population was preserved. However, isolated cases of poaching still occur.

Modern Europe also acquired these animals, and they were brought to the north. Moose now live in Belarus, Norway, Finland, Ukraine, Poland, and Hungary. The Baltic countries can also boast of elk. Even-toed ungulates feel at ease in Russia - the distribution area extends from Kola Peninsula before steppe zone on South. The elk is widespread in both Canada and the United States of America.

Animals love cool coniferous forests, where there is marshy soil, rivulets or streams. They feel best in the forest-tundra because there is a lot of different trees. Routine does not suit the animal, so the elk will look for diverse greenery.

Artiodactyls do not move very actively - they look for food near their permanent habitat, and if the area is rich in food, then the elk can stay in such an area for a long time. Since they love medium-sized and low-growing bushes, they suffer from a lack of food in winter. Sometimes the height of the snow cover exceeds 70 cm, which is unacceptable for those places where groups of moose live. This forces the moose to look for a new place to live. The animal cannot get food in such a layer of snow. In this case, animals migrate to places with less snow cover, and in the spring they return to their usual habitat. A group of moose is quite grouped; in winter they try not to wander far from each other, but in spring they show more independence.

To chew food, the elk has eight large and powerful incisors located on the lower jaw. All a moose eats is plants, so the animal's teeth are designed for prolonged grinding. Also, six molars and the same number of small molars are involved in the chewing process.

What does an elk eat when living in the forest - of course, pasture plants. Among the animal's preferences are grasses, shrubs, moss, mushrooms, and lichens. Among the trees, elk prefer to eat the succulent leaves of rowan, birch, maple and ash. If there are swamps in the area where the animal usually lives, then the artiodactyl will happily feast on plants growing near water. The elk loves marsh water lily, marigold, and egg pods. When young sedge arrives, animals are happy to include it in their diet.

Author: Stefania Backer

Among herbs, elk prefer fireweed, fireweed, and sorrel. The diet includes lingonberries and blueberries, and in the fall, moose also add tree bark. If an animal loves succulent plants so much, what does a moose eat when autumn and winter come? As soon as the leaves begin to dry and fall off, the elk actively eat the branches. At this time, you can see a lot of bitten bushes in the forest - this is the work of moose. In winter, moose eat tree bark and shrubs - pine, forest raspberry, rowan or fir. All that the elk eats at this time is rather meager and monotonous food. You can get lichen and tree debris from under the snow in winter. The food that elk eat can reach about 35 kg per day in the summer, but in winter it is three times less. During the winter season, moose drink very little water.

Interesting fact

Moose eat mainly in the morning and late evening. In the middle of the day they lie down in places where they are not bothered by blood-sucking insects.

Lifespan

Moose live for about 25 years, but in their natural habitat their life expectancy is approximately 10 years. Some moose die from predators living in the forest and various diseases. Other animals die at the hands of humans. Winter is an alarming time - many animals die during the movement of ice, and babies do not survive the severe cold.

Author: Sarah Blare

Author: Richard Hardman

Very often deer and elk are confused. And this is not surprising, because the descriptions of the animals are similar, and only an experienced person will see the differences. Both animals represent the artiodactyl order and the deer family. Of course, belonging to the same classification group ensures similarity between these animals, but there are still significant differences. For example, a moose has heaviest weight from deer, but the weight of a deer is three times less.

Another fact that distinguishes elk from its relative, deer, is its antlers. Elk also boasts longer legs, which deer do not have. The structure of animal horns is also different - the direction of growth and the shape of the branches. It can also be noted that a deer and its female can have antlers, but only males have antlers in moose.

Moose are not only excellent swimmers, but also divers - an elk can dive to a depth of about 5 meters for prey and hold its breath under water for half a minute.