forestgnome
New member
I spent Labor Day afternoon with a beautiful bull moose near Zealand Pond and I'm wondering if anyone has a close-up pic of the right ear of the bull who was the subject of the buzz last winter. Here's the only pic I could find, taken by Rocker21.
The bull I hung out with has a small battle notch toward the top of the back side of his right ear. These notches are wounds from the rut, caused by the ear getting caught between the antlers of both bulls. Ouch! These are the best way I know of distinguishing individual bulls.
In Rocket's pic I don't see any notch on the right ear, but it's a small one I'm looking for. This pic was taken after the antlers dropped so it he would already have the notch if it is him. I think it's too early in this season for a bull to suffer a wound in the rut and already have the wound completely healed, but that's a question for a biologist.
Here's the ear in question...
Anyway, I was hoping to find a small pond I see on the AMC map near Zealand Ponds. As I was searching and enjoying the area I spotted an antler through the woods. He was laying down for a rest. He's already shed his velvet but he still is doing lots of thrashing to polish them.
I slowly made my way toward him, taking advantage of an unusual southeast wind which was directly to my favor. I was able to get close enough to get a pic of the ear. I sat down and watched him doze until he decided to get up. Here he is stretching after his nap...
Then I gently announced my presence by mimicing some browsing sounds. He looked at me for a long moment and I remembered the incidents of last winter and made a note to self to give this bull plenty of space as I spent the rest of the afternoon with him.
This bull looks much bigger than the famed one, but that was winter so he could have bulked up through the seasons, but still I don't think it's the same guy.
Although I kept more distance than usual he did take a short bluff charge at me at one point. I made it clear I was cooperating and ran like a sissy and he stopped after only a few strides at me. It did get the heart pounding. Also, I suffered a minor ankle strain and a few scrapes to the legs in retreat.
After that he didn't seem to mind my presence at all. After a while he laid down for another rest...
This time he rested for well over an hour. I sat with him and had lunch. It was a beautiful scene in a nice birch glade with hobblebush starting to turn colors. The moose actually is laying on the edge of a small stream and gurggling of the water along with the filtered sunlight on the forest floor made for quite a magical experience...
He finally got up made his way uphill while making continous mating calls. At one point he made a rutting pit. I've found many of these in my travels but it was a wonderful first to see one being made. He scratched at the ground to dig the pit and then urinated in it. He did this twice.
He kept grazing his way uphill and making loud mating calls, barely noticing me anymore.
another wonderful day in Zealand Notch
The bull I hung out with has a small battle notch toward the top of the back side of his right ear. These notches are wounds from the rut, caused by the ear getting caught between the antlers of both bulls. Ouch! These are the best way I know of distinguishing individual bulls.
In Rocket's pic I don't see any notch on the right ear, but it's a small one I'm looking for. This pic was taken after the antlers dropped so it he would already have the notch if it is him. I think it's too early in this season for a bull to suffer a wound in the rut and already have the wound completely healed, but that's a question for a biologist.
Here's the ear in question...
Anyway, I was hoping to find a small pond I see on the AMC map near Zealand Ponds. As I was searching and enjoying the area I spotted an antler through the woods. He was laying down for a rest. He's already shed his velvet but he still is doing lots of thrashing to polish them.
I slowly made my way toward him, taking advantage of an unusual southeast wind which was directly to my favor. I was able to get close enough to get a pic of the ear. I sat down and watched him doze until he decided to get up. Here he is stretching after his nap...
Then I gently announced my presence by mimicing some browsing sounds. He looked at me for a long moment and I remembered the incidents of last winter and made a note to self to give this bull plenty of space as I spent the rest of the afternoon with him.
This bull looks much bigger than the famed one, but that was winter so he could have bulked up through the seasons, but still I don't think it's the same guy.
Although I kept more distance than usual he did take a short bluff charge at me at one point. I made it clear I was cooperating and ran like a sissy and he stopped after only a few strides at me. It did get the heart pounding. Also, I suffered a minor ankle strain and a few scrapes to the legs in retreat.
After that he didn't seem to mind my presence at all. After a while he laid down for another rest...
This time he rested for well over an hour. I sat with him and had lunch. It was a beautiful scene in a nice birch glade with hobblebush starting to turn colors. The moose actually is laying on the edge of a small stream and gurggling of the water along with the filtered sunlight on the forest floor made for quite a magical experience...
He finally got up made his way uphill while making continous mating calls. At one point he made a rutting pit. I've found many of these in my travels but it was a wonderful first to see one being made. He scratched at the ground to dig the pit and then urinated in it. He did this twice.
He kept grazing his way uphill and making loud mating calls, barely noticing me anymore.
another wonderful day in Zealand Notch
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