A good clue to see if moose have passed by is to look for their footprints or tracks. They have split hooves that are usually about 5 inches long. Another clue of moose activity is to look out for their droppings, or scat. In the summer when they are eating lush green plants, their scat looks like piles similar to cow droppings. In the winter their scat look like long round pellets.

moose also like to rest on the ground. If you find a clearing in the grass or snow that is about 4 feet wide, it is likely that you have found a moose bed! During the past two days we have seen moose prints in the snow, moose scat, and even a place where a moose took a nap.

Seeing moose is always a thrilling experience, but with sled dogs you have to be especially careful. moose have been know to get tangled in a dog team and in the confusion kick and sometimes kill dogs with their sharp hooves. We have been keeping a very close eye on Lichen and Saylix since we started seeing lots of moose activity.

Male moose are called bulls, female moose are cows, and young moose are known as calves. Cows usually have about 1-2 calves at a time. The calves are born in May and June and weigh between 25-34 pounds. Unlike human babies calves can walk on their first day of birth. The calves stay with their mothers for about a year until the cow has another calf. In the fall, bulls begin rutting and look for cows to mate with. Sometimes these wandering bulls get into fights with other males.

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moose prefer cool climates and places with a lot of fresh water. They are found in some of the northern most states in the US such as Wyoming, Montana, Maine, and Minnesota. moose prefer old mature forests, filled with spruce, aspen, and willow thickets. In the summer, it is quite common to see moose swim across lakes and ponds in order to find food. They spend much time munching on catkins and grasses that grow in the lakes. To make sure they obtain enough nourishment out of the grasses they eat the entire plant, including the roots. In the summer, moose usually live alone. Sometimes they will meet up at common feeding area. The males are known to group up and play with each other. One of their favorite games is called "sparring". This is when they push each other with their antlers. It is rare for moose to actually fight. The pregnant females are usually found alone. In the winter, moose will sometimes form herds to simplify travel through the snow to find feeding areas.