The Shiras moose is the smallest species of the four moose species. Shiras moose range from Utah and Colorado through Idaho and parts of Washington and Oregon and finally their range ends in parts of Canada just above Idaho and Washington. The Shiras moose has the smallest range of all the different species of moose.
What do Shiras Moose Eat?
A Shiras moose diet consists of a few different things. Moose love to eat bark and tree leaves. moose also eat a variety of grasses and water vegetation. The moose will wade into rivers, ponds, and lakes to eat the different mosses and vegetation that grow in these water sources. This makes rivers, ponds, and lakes a great place to look for the moose!
Shiras Moose Sneeze
Like all mammals moose sneeze. We were lucky enough to catch the moose below sneezing on trail camera! Make sure to turn the volume up so you can hear what a moose sneeze sounds like!
Antlers
All male moose (bulls) have antlers. A moose’s antlers usually palmate, especially as they grow older. This means they will have antlers that look similar to your hand. The antlers will have a palmed area with points coming out of this area (see picture below). Moose like other deer lose their antlers every year. Moose usually lose their antlers in December and January of every year. You can find these shed antlers if you start looking in these time periods where moose are commonly found. You would want to look near trees that look like they have been scraped or near trails that you know they are traveling on! Moose antlers are always fun to find!
Scraping Trees or Brush
Moose will scrape trees or bushes for a few different reasons. The first is that as their antlers grow, they have a thin layer of skin on them called velvet. This velvet starts to peel off around September and October of every year. This velvet starts to get itchy and they will rub trees or bushes with their antlers and try to scrape it off. Another reason they scrap their antlers, is they have glands in their head that leave their scent on whatever they rub them on. These glands help mark territory and let female moose (cows) know that there is a bull moose in the area for breeding season (moose rut).
Shiras Moose Size and Speed
These animals usually weigh around one ton and can be between five to seven feet tall at their shoulder. Shiras moose can hold a solid 35 miles an hour over long distances and long periods of time!
Moose vs Elk
A lot of people confuse moose and elk. Especially people that have never seen the two animals. It’s ok if you don’t know the difference between the two. It’s not very well known that these animals are two different species of deer. If you would like to see the difference between the two click the Moose VS Elk button below!
Pictures
Moose are awesome to catch on trail camera and can be a very rewarding picture if you can find them. Below are some of our favorite Shiras moose pictures and videos! If you need help choosing a trail camera to help get good pictures and videos, click the trail camera review button below!
