Moose in the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve

The Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve (YuCh) is a rich mix of untouched wilderness and hard-scrabble human history. The 2.5 million acres of YuCh hugs the international border with Canada on the east, follows the Yukon River from north of Eagle, AK, spanning north and westward toward Circle, AK, and follows the Charley River from the Yukon River southward, claiming all its watershed. This magnificent landscape features mountains carved open by the powerful flows of water and ice, verdant river valleys, windswept tundra and deep forests. Peregrine falcons nest high atop the trees, Dall sheep climb the cliff faces, caribou roam the plains, moose nibble leaves in the forests, wolves prowl on the hunt. Humans have also lived here longer than memory reaches. The indigenous Han Athabascan people have been here for centuries, living the subsistence traditions handed down from generations past. They are still here, living as they always have, and YuCh respects their rights to do so. It is more recent history that has scarred this land in the search for gold. In 1893 news of gold found near Circle, AK lured gold seekers north. The population of Circle swelled to 700, becoming the largest log-cabin city in the world, called "the Paris of the North" in honor of its opera house. Eagle, AK, across the Yukon River from Canada's Klondike Gold Rush, experienced a population explosion to 1,700 rowdy, gold-hungry newcomers. The U.S. army moved in at nearby Fort Egbert, and in 1903 the law arrived with Judge James Wickersham. Gold seekers left to follow the next rumors of gold in Nome and Fairbanks. The fever of the Gold Rush did not last long, and most of those who came for gold left again. Populations of both towns shrank back to under 100. However, scars of that Gold Rush still mark the land. Where single prospectors failed to get rich, industrial gold dredges scraped soil from riverbeds, sluiced out the gold, and left piles of tailings in their wake. Fifty miles shy of the Arctic Circle, Summer in YuCh enjoys constant daylight of the midnight sun. Between the solstices, daylight is always in flux as the pendulum swings from summer maximum to winter minimum and back again. Winter days are very short and can be very cold (Alaska's record cold of -80F was measured nearby). These conditions are brutal for humans, but Alaska moose are well suited for this climate. Thick fur, long legs and large hooves help them traverse deep snow and manage body temperature. Moose are comfortable at temperatures so low that humans may freeze--researchers have not yet found a temperature at which moose expend energy to stay warm. However, moose do get hot in the summer, panting when overheated. Often moose are found enjoying the cooling waters of forest ponds when temperatures climb above 62F. Moose are herbivores, fond of munching on a variety of vegetation. Winter foraging is sparse and difficult, limiting moose to twigs and bark when everything else is buried under snow. Spring brings tasty new sprouts in sunny meadows. Waterways and riverbanks offer a banquet of water lilies, sedges and grasses for moose to dine on. Moose will travel to take advantage of such bounty. Summer is a time of abundance for moose, critical to meet the nutritional needs of such large animals. Adult male (bull) moose grow to stand well over six feet tall at the shoulder, weigh 1,600 pounds, and grow antlers each year weighing an average of 45-50 pounds. Female (cow) moose are significantly smaller, less than six feet tall at the shoulder, weighing about 1,050 pounds, and do not grow antlers. Moose are solitary animals. Bulls live separate lives. A cow moose with her calf is a protective mother. Calves are born in May with a reddish-brown coat and walk soon after birth. Twin calves are a sign of a bountiful habitat. Young moose stay with their mothers for about a year. Only in September do moose gather together for mating season, called the rut. Bull moose grunt and rub their antlers against trees to attract females and to establish dominance over other males. Bulls may fight for mating rights, clashing their antlers against those of their opponent. A dominant bull may claim several cows, but this does not stop lesser bulls from trying to mate when the boss is not looking. When the mating is done, moose go their separate ways again, to face the winter on their own. Calves winter with their mothers. Come next May she will run last year's calf off just before her new calf is born. Hunting is an important tradition for the indigenous peoples of the Yukon-Charley Rivers region, vital for their subsistence lifestyle. The National Park Service (NPS), in concert with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, regulate hunting in the Preserve to ensure that animal populations remain sustainable. Moose hunting is allowed in specific seasons. State regulations set quotas for the number of moose that can be harvested each year. Hunters must obtain necessary permits. Local subsistence hunters receive special permits and have priority access to hunting grounds. The principles of ethical hunting are emphasized within YuCh, focusing on the value of the moose that must not be wasted, but used to their fullest extent. Therefore, all hunters should think like a subsistence hunter, finding value in the hide, bones and antlers as well as the meat. In addition to regulating hunting within YuCh, the NPS works to protect moose habitats by minimizing human impact on the land, such as limiting road construction, protecting the land from illegal logging or mining activities, and restoring habitat that has been adversely affected by human activity. Researchers monitor moose populations through aerial surveys, GPS tracking and scat analysis, with special attention to threats like disease and climate change which may endanger moose populations. The moose of Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve are a keystone species, iconic to Alaskans, venerated by ancient cultures, and protected by regulations to ensure their survival in this timeless landscape.