Terms 

Average weight of an elk. Description of the moose, dimensions, period of life, habitat and reproduction. Growth, development and molting of an elk Weight of elk antlers

According to observations of moose calves born in captivity, in the first 10-15 minutes they can already stand on their feet, but soon fall; wool and umbilical cord are wet on the first day. On the second day, the calf moves better, although the legs still wobble and sometimes move apart. From the third day he walks freely, on the fifth day it is difficult to catch up with him, on the tenth day he does not lag behind his mother, and at the age of two weeks he already swims well. Under natural conditions, a calf stays more or less in one place for at least a week. When the female leaves to feed or runs away if a person appears, the calf lies down, hiding in the grass or bushes; The moose cow does not try to protect the calf from the human.

Lactation lasts 3.5-4 months, i.e., approximately until the rut. Some females, apparently mostly not participating in the rut, continue to lactate in November-December and even later. A moose cow killed in the area of ​​the Pechoro-Ilychsky reserve at the end of December was milked with 200 g of milk. The elk that was with her weighed 43 kg more than the largest on the moose farm. At the moose farm of the Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve, the moose cow gives 150-200 liters of milk per lactation with a maximum daily milk yield of up to 2 and even 3 liters (June - early July); at the beginning and end of lactation, daily milk yields are the least. The fat content of milk in May - June is 8-10 and up to 13%. Compared to cow's milk, moose milk contains 2.4 times more fat and ash substances, 5 times more proteins, but 1.6 times less lactose. The calf starts eating green food at about two weeks of age or a few days later; in captivity, moose calves try to suckle green leaves at the age of 2-3 days. A calf weaned from its mother at the age of 1.5 months and subsequently fed on one green fodder develops more or less normally, keeping up with other calves in growth.

Observations of 56 moose calves raised in the Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve and Buzuluksky Bor showed that in newborns, the weight ranged from 6-14 kg for females and 8-16 kg for males. A calf from a pair litter, as a rule, had a weight of no more than 10 kg. Moose calves weighing 6-9 kg were usually very weak and subsequently often died. From other parts of the range, data on the weight of newborn elk calves are based on single weighings (Lapland Reserve, Serpukhov hunting farm, Demyanka River basin, Novosibirsk and Irkutsk regions), and they completely fit within the specified limits. There are no data on the weight of newborn elk calves of the largest elk in the USSR from North-Eastern Siberia. In Scandinavia, the usual weight of newborn elk calves is 10-16 kg, sometimes 6 kg in twins.

Moose calves gain weight very quickly and in 6 months their weight increases by about 10 times, reaching an average of 120-130 kg, and for the most developed 160 and even 206 kg. During the first 1-1.5 months of life, while milk predominates in the diet, the calf gains weight relatively less than in the next two months, when it begins to eat green food in large quantities. In July, the average daily weight gain in Pechora and Buzuluk elk calves is close to 2 kg. In the American elk, the average daily weight gain of calves for the first month of life is 450-900 g, for the second - 1300-2250 g.

Since autumn, weight gain slows down, and by the beginning of winter, when calves completely switch to tree food, it slows down even more (southern parts of the range) or stops completely. In the Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve, the weight of moose calves remains unchanged from the beginning of winter until the end of the camping period and spring molt, and even decreases in the case of a snowy and long winter. Thus, a calf at the age of about a year weighs the same here as at 6 months, and sometimes even less. Only in those moose calves that did not participate in the rut and continue to lactate in winter, which is rare, elk calves, at least at the beginning of winter, can gain weight in the north.

The height at the withers of a newborn calf is 70-90 cm, at 2 months 105-110, at 4 months - 125-130, in winter in the first year up to 135, in the second up to 155 cm. Adults have 160-216 cm at the withers, more often about 175 see. On the moose farm of the Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve, moose calves usually did not increase in growth after October until spring, and the winter-spring stabilization in the burrow was even more pronounced than in relation to weight. Moose calves of the Yakut Experimental Station at the age of 1 month had a withers height: male 107 cm, female 105, at 3 months 120 and 117 cm, respectively, at 6 months 139 and 132 cm, at 9 months 146 and 145 cm, at 12 months (female) 151 cm. The growth of these calves and weight gain continued in the winter.

In the second summer of life, the elk continues to noticeably gain weight, and under especially favorable conditions (cool, rainy summer, a small amount of midges), the gain over the summer can be 150 kg or more, so that by 1.5 years its weight often doubles; some moose can reach a weight of 350 kg. The relative weight gain in elk is always the largest in the first year of life, and the absolute weight gain, depending on the meteorological conditions of summer, may be the largest in the first or second year of life. In the third year, the weight gain of the elk slows down, and in the fourth year the animals reach full physical development. In the future, the weight of an adult elk undergoes only more or less regular annual seasonal changes, and their amplitude reaches 80 kg or more, amounting to 20-25% of the maximum weight of the animal for a given year. Moose have the greatest weight in late August - early September, the smallest in late April - early May. During the rut, males lose up to 17% of their initial weight, and over the subsequent winter, 3-5 times less. In moose cows, weight loss during the cold season is more gradual; during the rut, by November, they lose no more than 5% of their original weight.

Observations in Sweden have shown that moose cows do not gain weight after 4-5 years, while males usually reach their maximum weight not earlier than 10 years.

Within the same age group, the variability in weight is exceptionally large, as a result of which animals of completely different ages sometimes have the same weight: with a weight of about 275 kg, males aged 1.5-3.5 years were noted; up to 300 kg weighed both one and a half year old moose cows and animals aged 2.5 and 3.5 years.

Data on the weight of moose in Siberia and the Far East are fragmentary and almost completely fit within the indicated limits of variability in the weight of moose in the European part of the range. The largest known weight for the Siberian elk (male) is 655 kg (Yenisei basin), for the European - 619 kg. One male out of more than a hundred moose killed in 1903-1912 had a weight of 619 kg. in b. Petersburg province; all other animals weighed no more than 477 kg. The weight of the largest bull in Buzuluksky Bor is 563 kg, in the Pechoro-Ilychsky Reserve it is up to about 500 kg, usually the weight of adult elks here ranges from 300-450 kg.

Where moose are intensively hunted, large animals are not found at all, since most are hunted in the very first years of life. Of the more than a hundred moose caught in the winter in southern Karelia, not one weighed more than 311 kg. The maximum weight of a male obtained in the basin of the river. Demyanki, was 422 kg, females - 370 kg. The usual weight of moose in Eastern Siberia is 320-400 kg and very rarely (males) up to 480 kg. 11 moose caught in the Amur region weighed 260-320 kg. The male, caught at the end of September in Sikhote-Alin, weighed 400 kg, although the Ussuri elks are considered the smallest in the USSR. There are no exact data on the weight of the largest moose in the USSR - from North-Eastern Siberia; the weight of males in the prime of life here, apparently, often reaches or even exceeds 600 kg.

In 4-5-month-old elk calves, in the very first autumn, clearly visible cones develop under the skin, horns grow in the period from late April - early May to June inclusive, i.e. at the end of the first - beginning of the second years of life. Soft horns harden only at the end of July or in August, the skin on them gradually shrinks, dries up, and elks are freed from it, peeling off small trees with their horns. These horns are 20-28 cm long, sometimes up to 32 cm, and more often consist of spokes without processes, in very rare cases they are forked. Young moose shed their antlers after older moose, usually only in February - March, and sometimes in April. The second horns of an elk, which develop at the beginning of the third year of life, are forked. Horns with a well-defined shovel usually do not develop until the fifth year. In the future, under favorable conditions, the weight of the horns increases, the shovel becomes larger, and the number of processes increases. The weight of a pair of large horns can reach 15-20 kg, and according to some sources, even more.

In adult moose, the growth of new antlers in the southern parts of the range begins in April, in the north usually only in May. Horns reach full development at the end of June - the first half of July (in the southern parts of the range, often in June). Thus, their growth continues for 2-2.5 months. While the horns are soft, they are very sensitive to bumps and insect bites. The hardening of the horns occurs in July; the very ends of the horns remain soft for the longest time, having the appearance of rounded nodules and only then sharpening. By the end of August - beginning of September, the horns are cleared of skin, but on the Kola Peninsula this process occurs only from the end of August to the middle of September. By the beginning of the rut, adult elks are always cleaned. In the Sikhote-Alin, young moose with remnants of skin on their horns were found as early as September 17, while in some years old moose were already cleaned on August 26 in some years.

Adult moose shed their antlers from November (rarely from the second half of October) to December, sometimes capturing the beginning of January as well. On the Kola Peninsula and in Yakutia, moose shed their antlers mostly in December. Moose shed their antlers in the third year in January - February. In old moose, the shovels become smaller and lighter, and the number of processes is often reduced. Under unfavorable conditions, the horns degrade even in those animals that are no more than 6-8 years old.

Moose are born with well-developed milk incisors and erupting premolars. The formation of permanent incisors in our moose ends at about 18 months of age. In the moose, the first root begins to erupt at the age of 10-14 weeks (the mandibular is somewhat earlier than the maxillary), at 4-6 months it is fully functional, and at 6-8 months the second one begins to erupt. At 13-16 months, moose usually lose all milk premolars, at 16-19 months the formation of molars ends.

Young moose calves have a reddish coat color, which differs sharply from the grayish-brown color of adult moose; their legs are not lighter than their torso. The change of juvenile attire occurs from the beginning of August (slightly later in the north). By the middle or end of September, the young get the hairline of an adult elk; the legs at the same time brighten, and the color of the body becomes dark brown. In the Lapland Reserve, moose calves molt in September, but, as a rarity, young ones in juvenile fur were found even in November.

Data on the molting of adult moose under natural conditions are very scarce; one of the reasons for this is the great similarity between the summer and winter fur colors; the former is only slightly darker than in winter. Moose molt once a year - in spring. By March, winter fur noticeably wears out, loses its luster. The awn begins to fall out in late March - early April, and the undercoat in the second half of April. Molting begins with the head and legs, the last to shed the back. Moose molt especially intensively in May - June, females who have given birth to calves - in June and the first half of July. In the northern parts of the range, molting is two weeks late compared to more southern areas. Males and barren females are the first to molt, the last are females who have brought calves, as well as emaciated and sick animals. In Sikhote-Alin, adult males molt in early July or earlier, and females only by August. Normally well-fed male and female, killed in the basin of the river. Demyanki molted completely on July 16-20, while the nursing and very exhausted female retained the remnants of winter wool even on July 25.

Moose, especially young ones, are hard to bear. At this time, body weight drops abruptly, at other times it remains stable, but weight gain is delayed. Some young, who have endured a difficult winter, lose up to 30 kg in weight during the spring molt.

In the second half of July - August, moose walk in short summer fur, which has a shine; the hair on the belly is very rare. The skin is a little thinner than in winter. In August, the undercoat begins to grow, and the awn lengthens. During October or a little earlier, the moose puts on a winter outfit.

The heyday of the elk is at the age of 6-12 years. Among our zoologists, it is widely believed that an elk lives no longer than 20 years. However, a male elk, tagged in Sweden with a calf and then released, was recaptured at the age of 20 years. He was quite viable and had horns at 11 and 12 ends. At the Stockholm Zoo, a moose cow calved at the age of 21, but the calf was not viable. Judging by these data, the potential life expectancy of an elk is more than 20 years, and possibly more than 25 years, as Cherkasov (1884) once assumed. However, the vast majority of moose die much earlier. In the elk population of the Lapland Reserve, no more than 3% of all animals were older than 10 years.

Domain: eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Type: chordates

Class: mammals

Squad: artiodactyls

Family: Reindeer

Genus: Moose (Alces Gray, 1821)

View: Elk

Elk is the largest representative in the deer family. It is also the tallest ungulate after the giraffe. But if the giraffe reaches such a height due to the long neck, then the elk is a true giant. Moose have been hunted for centuries, but the attitude towards this animal was not purely consumeristic, but respectful. Among the American Indians, it was considered honorable to bear the name Elk.

Sometimes elk also called elk because of the shape of the horns, which resemble a plow.

What does a moose look like

Among other deer, the elk stands out sharply for its appearance. First of all, its huge size is striking - the body length can reach 3 m, the height of the elk exceeds 2 m, the weight is 500-600 kg. The body of the elk is relatively short, but the legs are very long. The muzzle of the elk is also not like its fellows. The head of the moose is large and heavy, the muzzle is long, the large upper lip hangs slightly above the lower one. The antlers of an elk have a characteristic shape: the base of the horn (trunk) is short, processes diverge from it forward, to the sides and back in a half-fan, the trunk is connected to the processes by a flattened part - a “shovel”. For this shape, the elk was nicknamed "elk".

However, the shape of the horns varies among moose from different regions. Their size also depends on the age of the moose: the older the animal, the wider the size of the “shovel” and the more processes it has. In moose, only males wear antlers. The color of moose is of the same type - dark brown with a lighter belly and legs.

The hooves of the elk, in comparison with other deer, are very wide. This form of hooves is necessary for animals to move through the viscous soil of swamps, which is not easy for such a giant. Long legs allow the elk to move easily in dense thickets of forests, along swampy river banks and deep snow.

The coat of the elk consists of coarser long hairs and a soft undercoat. In winter, the wool grows up to 10 cm in length. On the withers and neck, the hair is longer, in the form of a mane, and reaches 20 cm, which makes it seem that the animal has a hump. Softer hair growing on the head even covers the lips of a mammal, only on the upper lip there is a small bare area between the nostrils.

The elk has a brownish-black or black color in the upper part of the body, which turns into a brown color in the lower part of the body. The back of the body, croup and buttocks have the same color as the rest of the body: the so-called tail "mirror" is absent. The lower part of the legs is whitish. In summer, the color of moose is darker than in winter. The length of the tail of the animal is 12-13 cm.

moose species

The genus of moose has always been considered to consist of one species - elk (lat. Alces Alces). Within the species, several American, European and Asian subspecies were distinguished. Thanks to modern achievements in genetics, a new classification has been defined, according to which 2 species belong to the genus of moose (lat. Alces): European elk and American elk. The number of subspecies is still undetermined and is likely to change.

  1. Species Alces Alces (Linnaeus, 1758) – European elk (eastern)
    • Subspecies Alces Alces Alces (Linnaeus, 1758) - European elk
    • Subspecies Alces Alces caucazicus (Vereshchagin, 1955) - Caucasian elk
  2. Species Alces Americanus (Clinton, 1822) - American elk (western)
    • Subspecies Alces Americanus Americanus (Clinton, 1822) – East Canadian elk
    • Subspecies Alces Americanus Cameloides (Milne-Edwards, 1867) - Ussuri elk

Below is a description of the currently existing moose species.

European elk (lat. Alces Alces)

In Russia, it is often referred to as elk. The length of the elk reaches 270 cm, and the height at the withers is 220 cm. The European elk weighs up to 600-655 kg. The females are smaller. The color of the animal is dark or black-brown, with a black stripe on the back. The end of the muzzle and legs below are light. The upper lip, belly and inner parts of the legs are almost white. In summer the color is darker. Elk antlers with a well-developed shovel, up to 135 cm in span. The European elk lives in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, the European part of Russia, the Urals, Western Siberia to the Yenisei and Altai.

American elk (lat. Alces Americanus)

Sometimes this species is called East Siberian. It has a multi-colored color: the upper body and neck are rusty or gray-brown; the belly, lower sides and upper parts of the legs are black. Darker in summer, lighter in winter. The weight of an adult elk varies from 300 to 600 kg or more. Body dimensions are about the same as in Alces Alces. Elk antlers have a widely divided shovel. The anterior process, separated from the shovel, branches out. The span of the horns reaches more than 100 cm. The width of the shovel reaches 40 cm. The moose lives in Eastern Siberia, the Far East, Northern Mongolia, and North America.

What do moose eat

IN Moose diet includes herbaceous and tree-shrub vegetation, mosses, lichens, mushrooms and berries. Moose eat the bark pines, willows, birches, aspens, love young raspberry branches. Depending on the time of year, Elk's lunch is either preferably leaves or aquatic plants: water lilies, horsetails, marigolds. It is interesting that a portion of Elk per day is from 10 to 35 kg of feed, and this figure reaches 7 tons per year.

In summer, moose willingly eat grass, mushrooms and even algae. Moose are generally not indifferent to aquatic vegetation, they visit reservoirs with pleasure, where they not only hide from the summer midge, but also graze. For a portion of algae, an elk can even dive, although it is usually enough for a long-legged elk to simply bend its neck.

This is interesting! The summer daily diet of an elk is 30 kg of plant food, the winter one is 15 kg. In winter, moose drink little and do not eat snow, keeping their body heat.

Where does the moose live

Elk dwells almost throughout the forested zone of the Northern Hemisphere, it can often be found in the taiga or the steppe part.

As for natural habitats, moose usually settle in coniferous and mixed forests with swamps, quiet rivers and streams; in the forest-tundra - along birch and aspen forests; along the banks of steppe rivers and lakes - in floodplain thickets; in mountain forests - in valleys, on gentle slopes, plateaus. Elk prefer forests with dense undergrowth, young growth, avoiding tall, monotonous forests.

Wetlands are an important part of Moose life, because in the hot season, animals feed on aquatic vegetation and escape from overheating. These animals are found in Poland, the Baltic States, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Belarus, northern Ukraine, Scandinavia, the European part of Russia and the Siberian taiga. About half of the total animal population lives in Russia.

Moose live more or less sedentary and do not move too much. Making small transitions in search of food, they remain within the same area for a long time. In summer, the area where the elk lives and feeds is wider than in winter. From places where snow cover reaches 70 cm or more in winter, mammals migrate to less snowy areas. This is typical for the regions of the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East. Moose cows with calves are the first to leave, followed by males and females without offspring. In spring, moose return to their usual habitats in reverse order.

Currently, the number of Elk, like other ungulates, is declining due to the flourishing of poaching.

Why does an elk shed its antlers?

Usually, by the onset of winter, the animal sheds its horns. This is a completely painless procedure that brings him relief. To get rid of the horns, the elk actively rubs them against the trees, after which the antlers fall off. It grows new antlers in the spring, hardening in July. By the way, only males have horns, while females are deprived of such decoration.

There is an opinion that horns are needed so that the elk in the forest defends itself from other animals, but this is not true. The main purpose of the horns is to attract a female during the mating season and protect her from other males. As the mating season passes, the horns become unnecessary. The shedding of antlers for winter greatly facilitates wintering - it is easier for the animal to move and seek shelter.

The immediate cause of the loss of horns is a decrease in the amount of sex hormones produced in the animal's body. As a result of hormone deficiency at the base of the horns, special cells are activated that can have a destructive effect on bone tissue. It is thanks to their work that the horns are significantly weakened, and then completely disappear. The antler's horns become an important food for forest animals - squirrels, birds and predatory animals eat protein, which is found in abundance in the horns.

Is elk dangerous to humans?

If you are in the forest see Moose- Freeze and stand still until the animal leaves. During the rut, Moose can be quite aggressive, but they will not see a person even a short distance, because they have poorly developed vision. In general, Moose rarely attack first, for this you need to provoke an animal or get too close to the place where the offspring are located. The Elk is dangerous for motorists, since in a collision with an animal of this size on the road, great damage will be done to both the car and the animal itself.

reproduction

Single Moose live separately in small groups of up to 4 individuals, females with Elks sometimes unite in small herds of up to 8 animals. Moose are inherently monogamous, unlike other relatives.

Moose rut takes place at the beginning of autumn and is accompanied by a loud characteristic roar of males. At this time, it is better not to go deep into the forest, as Moose are aggressive and can attack a person.

There are also well-known Moose fights where rivals in the fight for the best female can not only be seriously injured, but even die. Moose's pregnancy lasts 225-240 days from April to June. Usually one calf is born, but old experienced females can give birth to twins. The baby has a light red color and can get up a few minutes after birth, and after 3 days it is already moving freely.

Elk maturity occurs at 2 years, and by 12 they are already aging, although in captivity with good care they live up to 20 years.

Enemies

Elk's first enemy is, of course, a man with a weapon.

Elks are hunted by wolves and bears (brown bear, grizzly). Prey is usually young, sick and old Moose. Wolves are practically harmless to healthy adults, unless they attack in a large pack.

It is difficult for an elk to keep all-round defense in open spaces. The picture looks completely different when the Elk is in the thicket. Here he often takes a deaf defense: having covered the rear with some tree or thickets of bushes, the Elk defends itself from the attackers with blows from the front legs. With this signature blow, the Elk is able to split the skull of a wolf and can easily defend itself from a bear. Therefore, predators avoid meeting the Elk “face to face”.

Why do moose eat fly agarics?

In Russia and Scandinavia, attempts were made to domesticate and use moose as a riding and dairy animal, but the complexity of keeping makes this economically impractical. There were 7 moose farms in the USSR, at present there are two - the moose farm of the Pechoro-Ilychsky reserve in the village of Yaksha and the Sumarokovskaya elk farm in the Kostroma region. These experiments are reflected in the film by A. Zguridi "The Tale of the Forest Giant". Both moose farms are state-owned. There are tours on the farms.

There is a practice of domesticating moose. A wild calf after the first feeding becomes attached to a person for life. Females easily get used to milking. Moose are very hardy animals, they can be harnessed to sleds, as well as ride them. They are indispensable in the swampy taiga, impenetrable forests, in muddy conditions. In summer, they can only be used for work at night, as animals can die from the heat. It is much colder in winter, so there is no such restriction.

What is the difference between an elk and a deer?

Elk and deer are representatives of the same family, which have significant differences between themselves:

  • The elk is the largest of the deer family, an adult elk weighs from 300 to 600 or more kilograms, and its height at the withers can reach 2.35 meters. Deer is a smaller animal. Its weight usually does not exceed 200 kg, and growth reaches 1.5 meters in large species.
  • Elk legs are long and thin, widening at the hooves. The deer's legs are shorter and more proportionate.
  • Deer antlers develop vertically, while those of the elk develop horizontally and have a different structure.
  • Moose females, like female deer, do not have horns. But among deer there is an exception: for example, female reindeer wear antlers, and water deer are hornless, regardless of gender.
  • As a rule, moose live separately, and among deer there are both solitary animals and herd animals.
  • Elk spends a lot of time in the water, which is not typical for many deer. Although, for example, water deer live in swampy areas, they are excellent swimmers and can swim several kilometers.

Moose are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for more than a minute.

Of the sense organs, the Moose has the best developed hearing and sense of smell. Elk's eyesight is poor- he does not see a motionless person at a distance of a few tens of meters.

In a fight with predators, the Elk uses strong front legs, so that even bears sometimes prefer to bypass the Elk. These animals run well thanks to strong and long legs, and can reach speeds of up to 56 km / h.

Moose milk, with which they feed their offspring, contains 5 times more proteins than cow's, and 3-4 times more fat. Now in Russia there are two moose farms that are engaged in the production of milk used for medicinal purposes, as well as meat and skin.

Long-legged Moose at first cannot reach the grass and graze on their knees.

Picture of heavenly moose or Deer were characteristic of many hunting peoples. The constellation Ursa Major in Russian tradition was called Elk. Among the peoples of the North, there are legends about the creation of the Milky Way when hunters were chasing the Elk, as well as about how the Elk carried the sun into the heavenly taiga. Sometimes the taiga hunters figuratively imagined the sun as a living creature - a giant Elk, running through the entire sky during the day and plunging into the endless underground sea by night.

Interesting information. do you know that…

  • There are cases when moose during the rut attacked trains, the sound of signals of which was taken for the roar of competitors.
  • Elk while running develops speed up to 56 km / h. It is also a good swimmer and is able to stay underwater for about 1 minute.
  • On the territory of the former USSR, moose are kept in some places as livestock. Moose give their owners meat, milk and are used as draft animals.
  • The elk has very poor eyesight, but this is compensated by a well-developed hearing and sense of smell.
  • Throughout its range, the elk forms six or seven subspecies, of which four or five inhabit Eurasia and two - North America.
  • In deep snow, the elk feels helpless. This is often used by hunters.

Video

Different scientists distinguish from 4 to 8 subspecies of moose, which differ in the structure of the horns and size. But among them, only one variety is particularly impressive in size. So where does the biggest moose live?

Main characteristics

The largest moose in the world live in the northern and central regions of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The population of these animals in Kamchatka is a unique phenomenon, since people brought them here on purpose in the early 80s of the 19th century. from the Anadyr basin. The new habitat turned out to be very favorable, thanks to:

  • abundance and variety of food, including in winter, which contributes to faster saturation and, possibly, as a result, "gigantism";
  • more favorable mild climate, which is good for animals in terms of maintaining energy potential.

Some scientists associate the impressive size of the Kamchatka elk with eating giant umbrella plants growing in Kamchatka, which contain substances that provoke increased production of growth hormone.

In appearance, the Kamchatka elk is similar to its relative from Alaska, and scientists have also managed to confirm their family ties at the genetic level (they have 7 dozen pairs of identical chromosomes). But according to the latest data, it is the Kamchatka representative that is the largest elk in the world. The weight of males reaches 800 kg, body length - 346 cm, and height at the withers - 239 cm. Females are much smaller - their weight does not exceed 400 kg.


In addition to Kamchatka, this species also inhabits the basins of Anadyr, Upper and Middle Kolyma, Penzhina and Indigirka. In this regard, it is sometimes called Kolyma, Penzhin, Chukchi.

The main pride of the elk

Males have the largest horns of any mammal. They are also the fastest growing tissues among mammals, with a daily growth rate of 30 cm. Moreover, each male has a unique shape of the horn bone, and it is almost impossible to meet two individuals with the same horns. They are presented in the form of wide shovels with numerous processes (up to 18 processes), the average weight of the antlers of Kamchatka moose ranges from 29-33 kg, but in some individuals they reach 40 kg. The shape of the horns, which resembles a plow, animals owe another name - elk.


It is this pride that is the main prey for hunters, a symbol of their luck and dexterity. Foreign hunters often pay attention not so much to weight as to the size of the span. In Kamchatka elk, these values ​​range from 153-165 cm, and in the largest males, the range is up to 180 cm.

For a long time, the trophy of Kenneth Bering, caught in Kamchatka in 1993, was considered the largest antlers of an elk that was caught by a man. The following indicators are recorded in the book of records of the International Safari Club:

  • the length of one horn is 127.6 cm;
  • rise width: 43.8 cm left horn and 44.9 cm right;
  • swing - 171.5 cm;
  • 13 processes on the left and 18 on the right shovel.

But in 2015, the Lithuanian hunter Arunas Aishparas managed to get a moose, whose horns weighed about 50 kg and had a span of 178 cm. It is this trophy that claims the title of the largest of its kind.


According to experts, the number of moose has only been growing in recent years. Therefore, on the pages of the Red Book, it is placed next to those species that are threatened by the least danger, and hunting for them is not prohibited.

Moose are unique animals. Indeed, in addition to their gigantic size, they have a number of other unusual features:

  • In water, they can swim at speeds up to 10 km / h, dive to a depth of 5 meters and hold their breath for up to 1 minute.
  • Thanks to strong, long legs, animals can run at speeds up to 56 km/h.
  • The special structure of the eyes allows them to notice the movement of objects behind them without turning their heads.
  • They are not able to see a motionless person if he is at a distance of several tens of meters.
  • They can rotate their ears in all directions and hear the sounds made by relatives even from 3 km away.
  • Very long legs give them considerable inconvenience when drinking. To quench their thirst, the animal has to go deep into the pond or kneel.
  • The main weapon of the animal is not the horns, but the front legs, the blow of which can be fatal even for a bear.
  • They love to eat rotten apples, as the fermentation process makes them feel euphoric.

Elk is the largest member of the deer family. The habitat of the animal extends throughout Europe, it lives in North America and the central strip of Russia, and is found in the Far East. Animals differ in body size and horns depending on the area where they live.

Kamchatka elk

From the deer family they live on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The weight of an adult elk on average reaches 800 kilograms in males, and females weigh about 400 kilograms.

Animals manage to achieve such gigantic sizes thanks to the varied and plentiful amount of food that is available even in winter. Some scientists are of the opinion that these animals grow to gigantic sizes thanks to an umbrella plant that grows in Kamchatka and provokes the production of growth hormone in animals.

An interesting fact is that moose were brought to Kamchatka only in the 80s of the century before last as an experiment. They were brought from the Anadyr basin.

A genetic connection has been established between animals living in Kamchatka and Alaska, but our moose are still the leaders in size. The average weight of an elk from North America does not exceed 600 kilograms.

Moose living in Kamchatka still live in the Middle and Upper Kolyma, Anadyr and Indigirka, so they are also called the Chukchi or Kolyma species.

European look

These are medium sized animals. The average weight of an elk in the middle lane does not exceed 500 kilograms (males).

The beast lives in the Urals and in Western Siberia, in Altai. Also on the territory of the republics of the former USSR: in Ukraine, in Belarus, in the Baltic states. In Europe, it is found in the Czech Republic, Poland and Scandinavia.

At the same time, artiodactyls living in Western Siberia are much larger than their relatives living in the European part.

For example, the body length of the European moose species does not exceed 250 centimeters, and individuals living in Siberia reach 270 centimeters or more with a maximum height at the withers of 185 centimeters.

Accordingly, the average weight of an elk in Russia reaches 480-500 kilograms, and animals living in Europe barely reach 400 kilograms.

caucasian view

It is believed that this species was completely exterminated at the turn of the two centuries - XIX-XX. However, the population in the Caucasus began to increase due to the migration of artiodactyls from other regions. Since 1976, moose have been found in the south of the Stavropol Territory, in the Krasnodar Territory and in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. These are medium-sized individuals, very similar to the European species. The average weight of an elk is no more than 500 kilograms.

Ussuri view

This small animal is perhaps the smallest among all types of moose. The legs of artiodactyls are much shorter than those of other species, the body is thin, with a light color. The muzzle is large. The weight of an adult elk does not exceed 200 kilograms. The height at the withers in males is from 170 to 195 centimeters.

In this species, the horns do not form a shovel and are more like the outer diameter of the horns can reach 100 centimeters and weigh up to 8 kilograms.

Ussuri elk living in Primorye can be somewhat larger, weighing about 400 kilograms. The average weight of an elk living in Manchuria does not exceed 300 kilograms. The most typical representatives of the species include animals that live in the Sikhote-Alin.

How long do moose live?

These artiodactyls have a rather short life, they begin to age by the age of 12. According to scientists, in the world only 3% of the entire population of moose are older than 10 years. The average life span is 12-15 years.

In captivity, artiodactyls live longer, there were even cases when individuals lived up to 22 years.

Diet

In the forest-tundra, animals prefer aspen and birch forests; in the steppes, they can move away from forests. For a quality life, moose need swamps and lakes, where they can escape the heat and nibble on aquatic vegetation.

In winter, artiodactyls need coniferous and mixed plantings, where there is a dense undergrowth.

Animals do not have a specific time for food, if it is hot, then they transfer dinner to the night, and in severe frosts they hide in the snow.

Artiodactyls prefer tree and shrub vegetation, use herbs. They are very fond of aquatic and near-water grasses, horsetails, marigold, water lilies, watch. Sorrel and fireweed are used in cutting areas.

At the end of the summer season, do not mind pampering yourself with mushrooms, including even fly agarics. They eat branches and fruits of cranberries and blueberries. In winter, sprigs of pine and willow, mountain ash, birch and fir are used. In the spring, when it is very difficult to feed, they eat the bark of trees.

Large males can eat about 35 kilograms of vegetation per day, and in winter - up to 15 kilograms of branches.

Almost all representatives of the species visit salt licks. If there are none nearby, they can go out onto the track and lick the salt off the road.

reproduction

Moose rarely create harems for themselves, as a rule. However, if there is enough food, then there may be several females in one elk.

When the male's excitement reaches its maximum, he can destroy everything in his path. As soon as the moose notices the female, he pursues her, driving away the young males along the way. If there are more males than females nearby, then males can engage in terrible battles.

The female can bring offspring in the 2nd or 3rd year of age. Pregnancy does not exceed 240 days. Children appear in early June. If there are two babies in the litter, then most likely one of them will die. Confidence in the legs appears a week after birth. At birth, depending on the species, the baby weighs from 6 to 16 kilograms. They feed on mother's milk for about 4 months.

Home pride

The most important trophy for any hunter is the elk horns, which confirm the courage and dexterity of the person who killed the animal.

In the Kamchatka species, with an average weight of an elk of 800 kilograms, the weight of the antlers can reach 40 kilograms in the largest males. On average, the weight varies from 29 to 33 kilograms.

In shape, the horns resemble a plow with multiple processes (about 18). The growth rate is very high - about 30 centimeters per day. It is because of the shape of the horns that moose are also called elks.

The European elk has slightly smaller antlers, and their weight does not exceed 20 kilograms, and in scope they can be up to 135 centimeters.

The largest horns

Until 2015, the trophy of Bering Kenneth, who hunted in Kamchatka in 1993, was considered the largest elk antlers.

Horn options:

  • 171.5 centimeters in span;
  • 127.6 centimeters - the length of one horn;
  • on the left side - 13 processes;
  • on the right side - 18 processes;
  • the width of the left horn (in the rise) - 43.8 centimeters;
  • the width of the right horn (in the rise) is 44.9 centimeters.

However, in 2015, Aishparas Arunas, a Lithuanian hunter, caught a larger elk, whose antlers weighed 50 kilograms and were 178 centimeters in diameter.

Moose are good swimmers and runners. When running, the speed can reach 56 kilometers per hour.

The bear does not even dare to attack these mammals.

Moose have very poor eyesight, they cannot distinguish objects at a distance of 10 meters. However, they have excellent hearing and sense of smell. They can attack a person only if he behaves aggressively.

Russia is a bear. The beast is powerful, dangerous, unpredictable and invincible. This stereotype has taken root all over the world and, probably, will never be erased.

Now, it's not like that.

Russia is an elk.

Elk is the most widespread species of large ungulates in our country. Perhaps it is inferior in numbers to wild reindeer, but I do not exclude that it gained an advantage over it exactly at the time when our magazine was in print: the number of reindeer is depressingly declining, while the number of elk is growing. In addition, official data on moose numbers are subject to constant control - both by hunting users and by the authorities responsible for the allocation of limits. Reindeer - who seriously considers something?

After a significant depression that the elk population throughout the world underwent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, its growth began somewhere in the sixties. Recently, this growth has been facilitated by an increase in the number of abandoned agricultural lands and their overgrowth with deciduous tree species - now, 25 years after the collapse of the USSR agricultural machine, thickets in the fields are an ideal feeding station for moose.

At the same time, one should not forget that in another 10–15 years the growth will “leave from under the muzzle” of the beast, and the number will begin to decline again. By the way, elk is one of the species for which small-scale logging is one of the most preferred types of biotechnology.

The elk is a serious animal in all respects. Firstly, it is large, it has a lot of meat. Secondly, it inhabits various inconveniences that are practically unsuitable for the rest of the ungulates. Moose can be found on burnt areas and mars, in pine forests and spruce forests, in ribbon forests in the middle of the steppe in the Balkhash region and in the Chukchi tundra. But what can I say - I got one elk on the shores of the harsh lake Elgygytgyn, one hundred and eighty kilometers from the nearest decent forest, in the middle of the Anadyr Highlands. In North America, the situation is similar: once I was interested in the fauna of the lower Mackenzie River basin, and the Canadian zoologist Bruce McLellan melancholy said that almost none of the large mammals live in the dark coniferous taiga there - with the exception of elk, "which live wherever bushes reach them at least to the side,” he added literally. Judging by the fact that the remains of fossil moose were found even on the New Siberian Islands, this animal can also exist in treeless spaces - it just becomes very vulnerable to predators there. Well, especially for humans.

Popularizers like to talk about the antiquity of elks and their modernity to mammoths. This, to put it mildly, is not entirely true. The elk, in fact, populated those landscapes that replaced the vast grassy plains that created the “same” unique mammoth complex. Despite the fact that the bones of real elk are known from the Middle Pleistocene, in the Ice Age, elk were relatively few in number. This species flourished and actively formed only in the Holocene, and it was in the Holocene that moose reached their peak.

It's funny, but it was Fennoscandia, which today is considered the main elk "breadbasket", that animals settled in the very last turn, about 10 thousand years ago.

So. At the beginning of the Holocene, the elk inhabited almost the entire territory of Europe. Then, under the influence of the anthropogenic factor, the border began to recede to the east. The last elk was killed in Saxony in 1777; in Galicia - even earlier, in 1769. At the end of the 18th century, the elk disappeared from the territory of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, in East Prussia - during the First World War. Thus, in the twenties of the XX century, the European elk was preserved only in Russia and Scandinavia.

What moose live in the world today and where?

European elk - Alces alces alces. The height at the withers of an adult male is up to 190-200 cm, body length is 260-270 cm, weight can reach up to 500 and even up to 600 kg. Horns with an undivided shovel and deer-shaped form predominate. The color of the body and head is uniform, brownish-brown, the lower part of the legs is light gray, whitish.

East Siberian, or Yakut elk - Alces alces pfizenmayeri . Adult males 190–205 cm at the withers, body length 260–290 cm, horn span 100–110 cm, shovel divided into two parts. On the front shovel 1-3 processes. Coloration is similar to European elk, but darker in winter, and with darker legs, sometimes not differing in color from the body.

Ussuri elk - Alces alces cameloides . The smallest moose. Adult bulls at the withers are 170–190 cm, body length is 230–280 cm. The weight of males is from 250 to 400 kg (rarely), on average about 300 kg. Deer-like antlers, span 80–100 cm. The number of processes is from 3 to 8 on one shovel. The coloration is dark, but the legs are usually light.

Alaskan elk - Alces alces gigas . The largest moose along with the "Moose Buturlin". The most authoritative researchers bring them into one form. Adult bulls are 190–220 cm or more high at the withers, body length 270–330 cm, weight 400–700 kg or more. The horns are very large, with a wide shovel divided into two parts. The span of the horns is 120–150 cm, it can reach 195 cm. The coloration is dark, with an admixture of black, a dark stripe runs along the ridge.

Elk Buturlin, or Chukchi elk - Alces alces buturlini . The dimensions correspond to the Alaskan elk, and even, perhaps, more (the author personally weighed the male with a live weight of 810 kg). The horns are similar to Alaskan, the head and upper body are brown, the sides are dark brown, there is a dark stripe on the ridge, the belly, with the exception of the inguinal region, and the outer parts of the legs are black.

Apparently, the Alaskan and Chukchi elks have the same center of origin, which was once in the now flooded land of Beringia. A certain giant river flowed along it, the tributaries of which were the paleo-Anadyr and paleo-Yukon, along which the giant elk and settled in both directions. By the way, for trophy hunters: elk in most of the Kolyma basin is Chukchi. The elk of the Penzhina basin is Chukchi. The elk in Kamchatka is doubly Chukchi, because it was brought there from the Anadyr basin.

Western Canadian Elk - Alces alces andersoni . The height at the withers is 180–200 cm, the body length of adult bulls is 255–275 cm, and the weight is 350–550 kg. The span of the horns is usually 90–115 cm, the number of processes on one shovel is 8–12. The coloration is lighter than that of the Alaskan subspecies.

Shiras Elk - Alces alces shirassi . Moose of small and medium sizes. Body length in adult bulls is 260–270 cm, weight 300–400 kg. The hooves are small, very light colored. The upper back is light brown, the ears are pale gray.

Eastern Canadian Elk - Alces alces americanus . Moose are medium sized. The growth of medium bulls at the withers is 180–185 cm, body length 250–290 cm, weight 350–450 kg. Horns are usually with a wide divided shovel. It has a light brown color.


Here is a real, and not a “trophy” classification of the “Moose” species - the way researchers see it, and not the compilers of trophy books of various kinds, which are based on, in addition to purely biological criteria, a lot of others - including personal and commercial.

However, regardless of the color of the skin, the size of the horns and the number of shoots, for the vast majority of the population, the elk is, first of all, an important meat resource.

As the hunter-fisherman from the Omolon River Vitka Maslov used to say, indignant at the behavior of the German trophy hunters entrusted to his efforts: “A good elk is the elk that has a lot of meat! What else do they want?"

How much meat is in salmon?

Hunters and merchandisers have established with irrefutable accuracy that the output of marketable meat products from an elk is about 40–50% of its live weight.

Hunting experts E. Knorre and Yu. Yazan, on the basis of numerous measurements, developed a table that makes it possible to determine with some accuracy the live weight of a hunted animal without directly weighing it, using a tape measure. How it's done? The oblique length of the body is measured (from the humeroscapular joint to the root of the tail) and its girth in the chest behind the shoulder blades. Then it is calculated according to the table below.


That's how much meat there is in moose.


Moose hunting

Elk in European Russia has long been the subject of an endless division of limits and licenses. In Soviet times, the sole possession of a license (not for a collective) for a elk meant belonging to the highest circle of the elite: the regional committee or city committee of the party, the corps of directors of factories or state farms.

I will never forget how a certain head of the department of one of the regions persuaded me:

– Miha, why do you need a license at all? Can't you kill without her? And so your license will go to the right person - a cop or a department head in the regional committee!

As they now write on the Internet, “this is all you need to know about the licensing system in b. THE USSR".

The vast majority of hunting in the densely populated part of the Central Federal District is carried out in a roundabout way (or corrals, as it is now commonly called).

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To a lesser extent, in the same regions with a developed hunting economy, hunting from a tower or ambush on feeding grounds or on salt licks is developed.

But to the east of the Urals, moose hunting on salt licks is already the main one, and, perhaps, surpasses driven hunting in popularity! And the degree of prudence of the owner is determined, for the most part, not by the area of ​​​​sown fields, but by the number of solonetzes laid.

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In areas with low population density and a poorly established hunting supervision service, elk hunting for meat from an SUV, snowmobile or motor boat is widespread. The real impact on the elk population was caused by the fall in purchase prices for sable skins. Suddenly, a beast with a carcass weight of 150-200 kg, provided that the cost of meat is from 150 rubles per kilo, turned into a source of very good income.

Unfortunately, in the vast majority of regions, the elk is also the most accessible species for prey; and also the most vulnerable.

I remember how, at the beginning of the 2000s, we made our way deep into the Kolyma Highlands on our combat research “shishig”, scouting the habitats of bighorn sheep. Suddenly, because of the turn of the river, a "Ural" drove out, on the bandwagon of which stood a man with a carbine in his hands.

"Ural" stopped, and the man turned out to be a local hunter. He checked our documents, assessed the equipment and arsenal, asked about the purpose of the trip. When we told him about it, he twisted his finger at his temple and offered to join him - of course, in search of elk.

“The ram is small, and you have to climb after him, hell, where,” as proof, he pointed his finger at the tops of the hills that had begun to be covered with snow. - Prongs roams the bottom, more than ten times, but it is taken easily. On two cars and with such guns, in three days we will fill the bodies with meat!

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The “roar” hunt - with the bull's beckoning by a voice imitating the rutting call of another male - is an amazing hunt in which the shooter is most revealed as an expert on the habits of the beast, a naturalist and generally a smart person. The fact is that when beckoning, one must very well understand the behavior of the called animal, remember many external circumstances, such as the direction of the wind, the density of the undergrowth, the availability of convenient access routes, etc.

In addition, in the deserted eastern regions, it is not uncommon for a bear to come to an elk waba, which has the same goal as the hunter ...

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Hunting for an elk from an approach on a fattening or lying down is one of the most beautiful and sporty hunts for a large game known to me in general. But it requires absolute skill on the part of the forester, who hides and has remarkable skills: the elk on the bed and on the fattening is extremely sensitive and cautious, in which he is helped by his amazing sense of smell and hearing. An exception is the approach to it on freshly fallen snow: in such circumstances, the shooter can approach the animal on the bed almost very close.

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Moose hunting with dogs (mainly with huskies), praised by the romantics, continues to spread, although its popularity is constantly declining. Keeping animal dogs requires special conditions in an apartment / house (huskies generally live very poorly in urban conditions), as well as financial costs and constant maintenance of the dog’s shape, which becomes difficult when the number of training stations and experienced instructors is reduced.

For all that, I consider individual hunting for elk in the forest without a huntsman and the use of technical means one of the most interesting, exciting and difficult.

Here I would like to recall how in noble houses they tested the cook for her ability to cook. She was asked to cook meat and potatoes. Not profiteroles, not poached consomme, not some kind of julienne and other delights of European non-cuisine (I won’t say for whom, from my point of view, it is intended - I’ll offend too many people). Namely, fried or stewed meat with boiled potatoes. And if the cook coped with this task, she was recognized as fit for service in a noble Russian noble house.

So: the ability to single-handedly get an elk in the forest is exactly the same general quality check for a Russian game hunter as cooking meat with potatoes is for a Russian cook.

By the way, I suspect that in most cases the cook was given elk meat.

Text: Mikhail Krechmar

Photo: Shutterstock / Fotodom.ru