Hunting

Moose:

The moose, Alces alces, is the largest member of the deer family, Cervidae. It is found in North America from Alaska to eastern Canada, south into the northwestern United States, and in Europe and Asia from Norway to Mongolia. The name moose is an American Indian word, and in Europe the moose is known by the old Germanic name elk. An elk in North America, however, is an entirely different deer, Cervus canadensis.

The moose is a massive animal with long legs, a large head, and an elongated, overhanging muzzle. A long flap of skin, called the bell, hangs beneath its throat. Large bulls may be 3.1 m (10 ft) in length, plus a short tail, and up to 825 kg (1,800 lb) in weight. Bulls typically also have large, broad, spoon-shaped spiked antlers, which may be 1.8 m (6 ft) across.

Moose are found principally in moist woods of willows, poplars, and birch, on which they browse. They also wade into lakes to feed on aquatic plants such as water lilies. Mating occurs in early fall, and gestation lasts 8 months, with one, often two, and occasionally three young being born in late spring.

Bear:

The black bear is the smallest of the North American bears, and the only one that is distinctly American. Our other bears, the brown-grizzly and the polar, also inhabit Asia and Europe. The black did not originate on this continent, however; it came over from Asia on the Bering Land Bridge about 500,000 years ago. Unlike the pugnacious grizzly which is rapidly disappearing, the furtive black bear has learned to adapt to man and has survived in many parts of the country, enhancing the hunting situation by its presence near populated areas. Though known to attack when provoked, the black generally gives humans a wide berth. But going after a bear, even a timid one, provides thrills for thousands of sportsmen nationwide who otherwise would have to travel far for a bruin hunt .

A large male black bear weighs on an average of 300 to 400 pounds (the female considerably less) stands 27 to 36inches high at the shoulder and is 4 to 5 1/2 feet in length. This bear does not have the prominent shoulder hump which characterizes the brown-grizzly. Black bears rely primarily on vegetation for nourishment, they are omnivorous and will feed on fish and small creatures such as rodents.

The black bear has a straight face when seen in profile. Its eyes are small and the ears are well-rounded. It has 42 teeth: 12 incisors, 4 canines, 16 premolars and 10 molars. The canines are long and well pointed; the premolars are rudimentary or even missing; and the molars have flat crowns.

The bear is plantigrade, walking on the soles of its feet. There are five toes on each foot, each armed with a strong, curved, nonretractable claw. The black bear’s front claws are about 1 1/4 inches in length, and it is the only North American bear that often climbs trees as an adult. The black bear is also unique in that it comes in a wide range of colors. A typical black bear has long, lustrous jet-black hair over most of the body from its head down to its tiny tail. On its muzzle and around its eyes, the hair is light-colored. Most black bears have a splash of pure white on their chests. This splash may vary from just a few hairs to an area about a foot across. Black bears also come in almost every shade of brown and some are bright blond.