|
| |
Alaska Highway
Moon Lake, Tok
Moon Lake State Recreation
Site is near mile 1332 of the Alaska Highway. Located 15 miles northwest of
Tok, Moon Lake is a popular getaway destination for local residents. Facilities
include  15 campsites, a boat launch, picnic area, a sandy beach area, drinking
water and latrines. Moon Lake offers a variety of water recreation opportunities
including swimming, boating, and water skiing. Local float planes flown by
Alaskan bush pilots, and landing on Moon Lake, bring an Alaskan flair to this
campground. |
Moose
The moose
(Alces alces) is the world's largest member of the deer family. The
Alaska race (Alces alces gigas) is
![[moose]](nb-moos2.gif) the largest of all the moose. Moose
are generally associated with northern forests in North America, Europe, and
Russia. In Europe they are called "elk." In Alaska, they occur in
suitable habitat from the Stikine River in the Panhandle to the Colville River
on the Arctic Slope. They are most abundant in recently burned areas that
contain willow and birch shrubs, on timberline plateaus, and along the major
rivers of Southcentral and Interior Alaska. |
|
General description: Moose are long-legged and heavy bodied with a
drooping nose, a "bell" or dewlap under the chin, and a small tail.
Their color ranges from golden brown to almost black, depending upon the season
and the age of the animal. The hair of newborn calves is generally red-brown
fading to a lighter rust color within a few weeks. Newborn calves weigh 28 to 35
pounds (13-16 kg) and within five months grow to over 300 pounds (136 kg). Males
in prime condition weigh from 1,200 to 1,600 pounds (542-725 kg). Adult females
weigh 800 to 1,300 pounds (364-591 kg). Only the bulls have antlers. The largest
moose antlers in North America come from Alaska, the Yukon Territory, and the
Northwest Territories of Canada. Trophy class bulls are found throughout Alaska,
but the largest come from the western portion of the state. Moose occasionally
produce trophy-size antlers when they are 6 or 7 years old, with the largest
antlers grown at approximately 10 to 12 years of age. In the wild, moose rarely
live more than 16 years. |
|
Life history: Cow moose generally breed at 28 months, though some may
breed as young as 16 months. Calves are born any time from mid- May to early
June after a gestation period of about 230 days. Cows give birth to twins 15 to
75 percent of the time, and triplets may occur once in every 1,000 births. The
incidence of twinning is directly related to range conditions. A cow moose
defends her newborn calf vigorously. |
|
Calves begin taking solid food a few days after birth. They are weaned in the
fall at the time the mother is breeding again. The maternal bond is generally
maintained until calves are 12 months old at which time the mother aggressively
chases her offspring from the immediate area just before she gives birth. |
|
Moose breed in the fall with the peak of the "rut" activities
coming in late September and early October. Adult males joust during the rut by
bringing their antlers together and pushing. Serious battles are rare. Bulls may
receive a few punctures or other damage and occasionally die from their wounds.
The winner usually mates with the female. |
|
By late October, adult males have exhausted their summer accumulation of fat
and their desire for female company. Once again they begin feeding. Antlers are
shed as early as November, but mostly in December and January. |
|
Food habits: During fall and winter, moose consume large quantities of
willow, birch, and aspen twigs. In some areas, moose actually establish a "hedge"
or browse line 6 to 8 feet above the ground by clipping most of the terminal
shoots of favored food species. Spring is the time of grazing as well as
browsing. Moose eat a variety of foods, particularly sedges, equisetum (horsetail),
pond weeds, and grasses. During summer, moose feed on vegetation in shallow
ponds, forbs, and the leaves of birch, willow, and aspen. |
|
Movements: Most moose make seasonal movements for calving, rutting,
and wintering areas. They travel anywhere from only a few miles to as many as 60
miles during these transitions. |
|
Population dynamics: Moose have a high reproductive potential and can
quickly fill a range to capacity if not limited by predation, hunting, and
severe weather. Deep crusted snow can lead to malnutrition and subsequent death
of hundreds of moose and decrease the survival of the succeeding year's calves. |
|
Moose are killed by wolves and black and brown bears. Black bears take moose
calves in May and June. Brown bears kill calves and adults the entire time the
bears are out of their winter dens. Wolves kill moose throughout the year.
Predation limits the growth of many moose populations in Alaska. |
|
Hunting: More people hunt moose than any other of Alaska's big game
species. |
|
Economic and future status: Because moose range over so much of
Alaska, they have played an important role in the development of the state. At
one time professional hunters supplied moose meat to mining camps. Historically,
moose were an important source of food, clothing, and implements to Athapaskan
Indians dwelling along the major rivers. Today, Alaskans and nonresidents
annually harvest approximately 6,000 to 8,000 moose—some 3.5 million pounds of
meat. Moose are an important part of the Alaskan landscape, and tourists
photograph those animals that feed along the highway. |
|
Man's developments in Alaska include many alterations upon the face of the
land. These activities create conflicts between man and moose as moose eat crops,
stand on airfields, eat young trees, wander the city streets, and collide with
cars and trains. |
|
Man's removal of mature timber through logging and careless use of fire has,
in general, benefited moose as new stands of young timber have created vast
areas of high-quality moose food. The future for moose is reasonably bright
because man is learning how to manipulate habitat with wildfire and is becoming
more skilled at managing factors that limit moose populations, such as predation
and hunting.
|
| |
|
