Seasonal Activity Budgets of Moose in Aspen-Dominated Boreal Forests

Abstract

We determined diel activity budgets of 2 moose (Alces alces) in a 65-ha enclosure through an annual cycle. Feeding times averaged 10 hours/day throughout the year. Rumination time ranged from 12.6 hours in midwinter to 2.8 hours in May and was positively correlated with cell wall intake. There were 5 feeding bouts/day. The duration of feeding bouts decreased and rumination bouts increased with dietary fiber. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 53(2):296-302 Wild ruminants spend a disproportionate part of each day feeding or resting and ruminating; other behaviors (e.g., grooming, travel, security, and social interaction) comprise a small part of the daily activity budget (Hudson 1985). Time invested in these activities (particularly feeding and ruminating) shows marked diel and seasonal variations (Dulphy et al. 1980) raising questions about the adaptiveness of these patterns. Activity budgets have been documented for a number of northern ruminants including red deer and wapiti (Cervus elaphus) (Georgii 1981, Gates and Hudson 1983), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (Turner 1979, Cederlund 1981), muskox (Ovibos moschatus) (Jingfors 1982), reindeer and caribou (Rangifer tarandus) (Eriksson et al. 1981, Skogland 1984, Duquette and Klein 1987), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (Jacobsen 1973, Moen 1978), and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) (Carpenter 1976). Activity budgets reported for moose are limited to specific seasons (Belovsky and Jordan 1978, Best et al. 1978, Risenhoover 1986). Being large browsers, moose are expected to have relatively long foraging times (Lewis 1977). However, because the rumen is small and rate of passage high, feeding bouts should be shorter and more frequent than those of large grazers (Renecker 1987). Our objective was to determine the seasonal activity budgets of handreared, free-ranging moose in an enclosure and to compare these results to other ruminants. We present data collected during 7 diel activity scans over 13 months. We acknowledge the assistance of D. M. Renecker, D. M. Bayne, M. T. Nietfeld, A. J. Keith, L. Risenhoover, W. Peltier, C. D. Olsen, and D. Welch. G. P. Kershaw provided information on snow depths. This study was supported by Alberta Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Agricultural Research Council of Alberta (Farming for the Future), and the Alberta Environment Research Trust.