Canadian Moose

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Moose are the most abundant of the big game animals to be found in our area, although at certain times during the year they are exceeded by caribou. The bulls in our region are the Canada moose, large bodied and dark coloured, they often have antler spreads well over 50” in spread and on occasion even over 60”. They tend to be found all over during the summer, from the lake bottoms feeding on their favourite acquatic vegetation; right to the mountain tops to take advantage of the breezes keeping the bugs away or maybe just for the view. By late August the bulls antlers are beginning to harden and they prefer the high thick cover provided by balsam thickets. There they can easily get into the open to feed and escape predators. By early September they are rubbing the velvet off their antlers and starting to move again. They are probably at their most visible during this time with what seems like 2 big white plywood billboards over their heads, before the antlers darken. When the rut starts by mid September they are really on the move, gathering up harems of 1 to 6 cows and defending them from any challenger. This is when the excitement really starts for the hunters and some claim it’s even more of a thrill than bugling in elk just because of the massive size. The rut is somewhat weather dependent but usually lasts into the 3 rd week of October. The moose season opens August 15 and goes to November 15 in most of our area. We are not limited by quota on moose except for that portion of our area that lies within Spatsizi Provincial Park . We average 16-18 moose hunters per year and more than 90% of our hunters get a bull.