JACKSON, Wyo. — On Sunday, Oct. 27, a gaggle of moose crossed US191 in Grand Teton National Park, causing traffic to come to a standstill.
Buckrail’s photographer Nick Sulzer was among the patient travelers watching two bull moose, one cow and a yearling safely cross to the open sage brush flats.
Late October and early November are at the tail end of the rut or mating season, when bulls can be seen vying for female attention. Maybe the bulls were also chivalrously helping the mother moose and offspring have safe passage across the highway.
The younger bull moose with immature antlers will have to respectfully give space to the older bull moose with a full rack. Younger bulls will watch and wait until they can prove themselves worthy for a cow. Most bulls don’t breed until they are older and can compete with other bulls, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) says that a bull’s antlers will grow in size as it gets older. Antlers continue to grow until a bull moose will reach its prime, which is usually around the age of five.
Yearling antlers typically have two or three points with smaller palms. The number of points and the size of the palms will grow each season until the antlers form a protective arch over the face, which prevents damage to a moose’s eyes when competing for mates, according to USFWS.
