How to properly identify moose before hunting
Learn the difference between cow moose and calf moose.
Attention moose hunters: know the difference
Be sure you can identify the difference between moose calves, yearlings and cows to help protect Ontario’s moose population.
Be sure you can identify the difference between moose calves, yearlings and cows to help protect Ontario’s moose population.
Importance of proper identification
A healthy and sustainable population of moose is important to Ontario.
Most hunters are careful and ensure they properly identify the moose they are harvesting. However, this can be challenging even for skilled hunters. Proper moose identification will help hunters minimize the possibility of harvesting the wrong animal.
Calf moose
Age
- under the age of one
Facial features
- small, fine-featured nose
- short ears
- almost no bell, which is a beard-like flap of hair-covered skin under the throat
- short, triangular-shaped face
- head appears shorter and stouter than an adult moose
Body shape
- square body shape with a sharply pointed shoulder hump
- appear to have more leg than body and lack the heavy muscular development typical of adults
- stand about 1.2 metres (4 feet) high at the shoulder and typically weigh 160 to 180 kilograms (350 to 400 pounds)
Cow moose
Age
- in its second year is known as a yearling and considered an adult in Ontario
- an adult female is a cow
- an adult male is a bull
Facial features
- long, over-hanging bulbous nose
- longer, more rectangular-shaped face with prominent ears and bell
Body shape
- yearlings and adults are more rectangular-shaped than calves
- cows stand about 1.8 metres (6 feet) high at the shoulder and weigh between 320 to 545 kilograms (700 to 1,200 pounds)
Know the difference
When you see a moose
If you see a single moose without antlers, take time to search for a nearby calf. Yearlings are independent and less likely to follow cows as closely as calf moose.
Updated: April 17, 2023
Published: January 30, 2019