summer diet. In winter, when the 

 deep snows of the coastal mountains 

 cover most of their food, the goats 

 are forced to lower elevations or 

 onto windswept slopes where they 

 browse on alder twigs or whatever 

 vegetation they can find. They will 

 travel down to the salt-water 

 beaches for salt when licks are not 

 available. 



Undoubtedly, many goats get 

 killed by snowslides or by falling 

 from rocky trails. There is little 

 evidence of predation by wolves, 

 bears, wolverines, or other natural 

 enemies. Goats are usually hunted 

 in a few accessible areas. The heads 

 and hides make interesting trophies, 

 and the meat of the kids is good. 

 Several refuges and closed areas 

 have been established where terrain 

 or inaccessibility are not sufficient 

 protection against overhunting. 



Moose — The Kenai moose is the 

 largest of its kind on earth. Bulls 

 reach a weight of 1,400 pounds or 

 better, with the cows somewhat 

 smaller, generally the rule in na- 

 ture. With an antler spread of 6 

 feet or more, bulls are a fine hunt 

 trophy. Moose furnish the winter's 

 meat supply for hundreds of 

 Alaskans. 



In late summer, bulls congregate 

 in the higher country and polish 

 their antlers in preparation for the 

 mating season. From mid-Sep- 

 tember to late October, they vie for 

 supremacy in struggles that some- 

 times end in death for the weaker. 

 The victor claims from one to sev- 

 eral cows. 



May or June of the following 

 year sees the birth of the long- 

 legged, reddish-brown calves, one 



MOOSE 



or two in number. As a rule only 

 50 to 60 percent of the cows produce 

 calves. 



Antlers of the older bulls are usu- 

 ally shed in December ; the younger 

 bulls retain theirs a little longer. 

 Antler growth starts again in April 

 and is completed in late August. 

 Between the sixth and tenth year 

 antlers attain maximum spread, 

 then diminish in size as old age 

 approaches. 



Scrub growth of willow, birch, 

 and aspen provides the winter range 

 essential to large moose herds. In 

 a day, 1 moose will eat 40 to 50 

 pounds of this browse. Unchecked, 

 a moose herd can increase beyond 

 the capacity of the winter forage 

 plants to support it. This results 

 in' deterioration of the range and 

 subsequent starvation in the herd 

 during severe winters. Moose pop- 

 ulations fluctuate over long periods 

 in response to changes in habitat. 



Natural enemies of the moose are 

 wolf and bear which prey especially 

 on the calves. Accidental death is 

 caused by breaking through thin 

 ice, falls on glare ice, being caught 

 in snares or other entanglements, 

 drowning of calves in river cross- 



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