You don’t want to get in between two bull moose, and you definitely don’t want anything to do with three bull moose when antlers start clanking.
The three moose (I always want to say “meese” in those situations) seen in this video out of Steamboat Springs, Colorado aren’t fully grown, but they’re still sizable creatures. Bull moose grow up to be world’s tallest, largest and heaviest deer species in the entire world. If it weren’t for American bison, they would hold the title of the largest land animal in North America (moose still do hold the title of the tallest).
Adult moose weigh anywhere between 800 to 1,200 pounds, and believe it or not, bulls stand 6 feet tall at the shoulder. A bull moose’s antlers can reach as wide as five feet. Their antlers alone can weigh 50 to 75 pounds, and the good news for the males is that they shed their antlers in the early winter and regrow them the following year.
I’d imagine it’s nice to have a little break from hauling those heavy head ornaments around.
This video below shows three younger bull moose (apparently filmed at the end of December) clashing antlers with one another. It’s certainly a sight to see, and though you might assume moose have been in Colorado forever, that’s actually not the case. The tourism website for Steamboat Springs explained that it would have been unusual to see moose in Colorado only a couple of decades ago.
Now, it’s rather common:
“It may be hard to believe, but until 20 years ago hardly anyone ever saw a moose in Colorado, especially Steamboat Springs. That’s far from the case today. The state’s moose populations are thriving, thanks to successful reintroduction efforts by Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Colorado’s moose population now approaches 3,000 animals statewide.”
The more you know, eh?
But before I bore you with more moose facts and statistics, let’s get to this incredible video, shall we? It’s not everyday that you get to see three – let alone two – bulls jousting with one another. It’s likely that these young moose were sparring in the deep Colorado snow for practice more than anything. Especially considering the moose rut season typically falls between the later part of August through the middle of October.
That being said, the battle that ensued and spilled into a snow-covered roadway is as impressive as it gets. Just imagine when these bulls reach their maximum adult weight and potential. This has the makings of a legitimate heavyweight fight if you give all of these moose a couple of years to grow and bulk up.
I also appreciate the fact that the video was posted with its original audio, so you actually get to hear the antlers of the moose clanking and clashing with one another. Time and time again, a video like this gets ruined by someone putting nondescript background music over the audio that we’re all interested in hearing.
That didn’t happen with this one though, as you’ll be able to hear when the sparring gets started:
Young bull moose were spotted sparring in a backyard in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, last week. pic.twitter.com/LFIEcGiDAJ
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) January 2, 2025
