When do moose have calves?

Answer 1

Moose cows usually bear their offspring about 230 days after mating, usually in late May. Most births are of a single calf, but twins are common and births of three or four calves sometimes occur.

Answer 2

By by Bruce Ranta

Moose hunting can be one of the most exciting, and rewarding, big-game hunts in North America. It can also be one of the most frustrating. Despite their size - a big bull moose might weight 1500 pounds on the hoof - they can be extremely hard to find. But their Achilles heel, like it is for so many male mammals, is breeding season. During the rut, a bull moose seems to have little else on his mind other than the object of his affections.

Hunting moose during the rut is effective and efficient. In fact, in much of the southern portions of moose range, where access roads permeate the forest, hunting moose during the rut is tightly controlled, or not allowed, period. In many such areas, it is often only archers, successful in a draw, who can hunt moose during the rut.

However, in some areas, gun hunters can and do get in on the moose rut action, particularly where access is difficult and hunting pressure is low. Whether you hunt with gun or bow, a fly-in moose hunt, to a remote northern lake, is the classic moose hunt many hunters dream about.

The peak of the moose rut is early autumn, typically the last 10 days of September and the first few days of October. Of all the deer, only elk breed earlier.

In forested areas, adult cow moose nearing estrus seek out mating territories. According to the late Dr. Tony Bubenik, once the world's foremost authority on moose behaviour, the cow patrols her mating area day and night, scent marking with urine, preferably near shorelines of small ponds and lakes, while occasionally scraping the ground slightly and making moaning calls. These activities are meant to attract love-struck males, which of course they do. It's also why imitating the moans or calls of a cow moose is what hunters try to do when the rut is on.

After shedding the velvet from their antlers, bull moose advertise their readiness to breed by vocalizing with a call called the 'hiccup', pawing and urinating in rut pits, thrashing bushes with their antlers, and salivating profusely. They also splash their antlers with urine-soaked mud from the rut pit, by holding their head low and stomping in the pit with their forelegs.

Bulls may roam for miles trying to find cows that are ready for mating. But cow moose can be finicky about who they will mate with, and may reject a suitor. This is most likely to occur in areas where moose are reasonably abundant, and a choice of mates is available. When moose densities are low, a cow may accept a bull as a mate, as opposed to choosing him. In forested areas, cows can be very faithful to their mate, and usually do not let other cows share her bull.

The mating behaviour of tundra moose is quite different from their forest cousins. Bull moose on the tundra of Alaska and the Canadian Territories breed harems of cows, reminiscent of elk and other herding cervids. During the peak of the rut, and when tundra cows approach the receptive phase, they may communally court a breeding bull. Unlike forest dwelling, or taiga moose, that mate with one cow, and usually several times during the time she is receptive, tundra moose may mate serially with the cows in his harem.

Moose are amazingly gentle lovers. Upon meeting, he will usually stay close to her, but initially, they do not touch one another. However, as she nears the time when she will allow mating to occur - a relatively short period of only 6 to 18 hours - she will let the bull lick and nuzzle her vulva, place his chin on her rump, and eventually, have contact with her chin and her lips. Usually only older, mature bulls - preferably, bulls five years old and older - mate successfully. Younger bulls are often clumsy and inattentive suitors, and get the brush-off.

In areas where moose population densities are relatively high, and where the age and sex structure of the herd shows a good mixture of young to old animals, almost all the cow moose will be bred during the peak rut time in late September. However, when moose numbers are low, bulls may not be able to find cows during the short period they are receptive to their advances. And if the cow is not too keen on bulls they do encounter - the only bulls seen by cows are young 'teenagers' - mating may not occur during the first, major estrus.

When a cow isn't successfully bred, she will come into heat again 22 to 28 days later, and the cycle will repeat itself. Moose are known to experience as many as six recurrent heats, which means breeding is possible late into March.

Bulls spar with one another to help establish ranking, and when evenly matched bulls meet, fights can occur. I once witnessed two bulls fighting in early November in a northern Ontario cutover, with the cow, obviously waiting to claim the victor, looking demurely from the sidelines.

Moose are spread across much of the northern forests of North America. Time-wise, the rut is reasonably concurrent across its range, although weather can affect the exact timing and intensity (in warm weather, moose will be active mostly at night, as compared to cool weather, which allows for more extended periods of activity).

For moose hunters, the rut is a magical period of autumn. Every serious big game hunter should, at least once in their lifetime, experience hunting moose during this very special time of the year.

Answer 3

The mother moose starts to push her male calves away when they reach about 1. 5 years of age. They generally don't ever push the females away, allowing them to stay close until they move away on their own. This can be several years.

Answer 4

A mother moose may have 1 to 3 babies at a time, but normally they only have one set of twins(2 babies).

Answer 5

Typically, one. If food is abundant, she might have twins.

Answer 6

Around May - June

Answer 7

in the spring