I’ve discussed moose feeding sign before but thought I’d share this video of a moose browsing in winter because it’s in color and gives another look at how these animals create the sign we trackers find in the field. Watch how she bites off small twigs and sometimes strips them without biting them off by running them through her mouth. By consuming only buds and the smallest twigs and avoiding larger diameter twigs and stems, she maximizes intake of useful nutrition and minimizes consumption of cellulose. As a ruminant, she is capable of processing tough plant fibers with the help of cellulose-digesting bacteria in her rumen. But because moose have small rumens they are less efficient at cellulose digestion than horses and bison, so they seek out richer, less fibrous foods. This video was captured in Massachusetts, and the cow is feeding from red maple and black birch saplings.

A few other comments about this video:

• This cow appears to be in good conditions, which is encouraging, given that moose in southern New England are suffering from the effects of winter ticks and brain worm.
• When she begins to walk towards the camera, watch how she stumbles when her hooves breaks through the crusty layer of snow. Crust makes travel challenging for heavy ungulates.
• Notice that a small area behind each eye retracts each time she sniffs the camera. What does this mean, anatomically? Do her nasal cavities extend behind her eyes? If you have an answer, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
• Don’t miss the very end where she runs past the camera a few days later.

Camera placement for moose browsing in winter

I targeted that spot because there was a lot of fresh moose feeding sign and scat. You can see a nice example of moose browse on woody plants here. For best results, target FRESH feeding sign. I have found that moose often do not return to their favored feeding areas from the previous winter. They don’t always return to areas with fresh feeding sign, either, but it’s more likely. An abundance of fresh sign in association with scat piles suggests a core feeding spot, and that’s where camera trapping success is most likely. Look for this feeding sign in recently logged or burnt areas, for moose need an abundance of young woody browse for winter survival. And, or course, be sure to account for the enormous size of this species and set your camera far enough back from the target area.