Male moose engage in intense battles during mating season
During their rut, males put their huge antlers to work as formidable weapons and impressive displays to attract potential mates.
Male moose or bull moose engage in intense battles, locking their antlers together and shoving each other with incredible force as they vie for the right to mate with female moose, called cows. However, brute strength is only an example of their strategies in their quest for the attention of a cow moose. Scent and sound also play essential roles during the mating season.
They also display behavioral patterns similar to other cervids, including courtship croaking, tongue flicking, and genital smelling. However, both sexes show little apparent post-copulation behavior. The research also found that moose cows only mate with one male except for a few cases where a female had two male partners2.