Moose

It's amazing how many locals seem to breeze past elk along the side of the road at 120 km/hr, yet those same people will slam on the brakes at the sign of his larger cousin the moose. Much less commonly seen than elk, the moose still holds the fascination that the elk seems to have lost.

Huge animals, they can weigh as much as 450 kg and stand almost 2 metres at the shoulders. The antlers are equally large and their palm-like appearance is very distinctive. The name moose comes from the Algonkian Indian word for "twig eater" and is well chosen as they prefer to browse on low brush like willows, red-osier dogwood and even small poplar and aspen twigs. During the summer they are often seen belly deep in the local marshes as they munch away at the various aquatic plants. In fact, they've been known to dive as deep as 5 metres in order to collect their aquatic morsels. They are also strong swimmers. They have been known to swim several miles when the need arises.

Commonly used as the model for cartoon characters (ie. Bulwinkle), it's usually portrayed as a large, slowly plodding animal with limited intelligence. Nothing could be further from the truth. They are incredibly wary animals and their long legs can carry them along at incredible speeds.

Just how fast can they move--upwards of 50 km/hr--even through thick bush. If you've ever seen the large rack on a big bull moose, that fact becomes even more astounding. As they head into the bush, the head goes back to allow the antlers easier passage. I've often been slowed down to a mere crawl while following a moose through bush that didn't even slow him down.

The antlers, like all members of the deer family, are found on the bulls. They are palm shaped with a number of tines, or forks, along the outside edge. They grow anew each year and are still in the velvet stage. Along with the antlers, the bulls have one other distinct feature--a long dangling flap of skin under the chin. This flap, known as the "bell", tends to be larger among larger moose. It's purpose isn't clear but its presence is universal (except in the odd case where it has frozen off during a cold winter).