Moose hunting season is getting closer in Northern Ontario.
With that in mind the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry wants to make sure hunters don’t mistake a calf moose and shoot it instead of the adult.
The MNRF has issued a bulletin pointing out the differences between adult and calf moose.
Calves, which are under a year old, have short, triangular faces, their heads are shorter and they have small noses.
The adult moose has a rectangular-shaped face, its nose overhangs and it also has prominent ears.
At the shoulders, the adult cow (female) moose is six feet tall and weighs between 700 to 1,200 pounds.
The calf is much shorter, at four feet in height when measured from its shoulders.
It also weighs 350 to 400 pounds.
The overall body of the calf is square-like with a sharply pointed shoulder hump.
The adult moose’s body is more rectangular in shape.
Also, while the adults have a heavy, musculature body, the calves are nowhere near developed and they appear to have more leg than body.
The MNRF says if while hunting you see a single moose without antlers take time to search for a nearby calf.