Yearling Sitting at a Threshold - Moose Calf Portrait

by Harvey Bodach

Original Painting, Acrylics on Masonite Board

12” x 18

Floating Wood Frame

14” x 20”

Completion Year - 2025

Moose are found in the northern parts of both North America and Eurasia. They favor habitats within forests where rivers and ponds dominate the landscape foraging the green plants on land as well in the water. Moose are generally solitary animals, but that all changes in the fall during the “Rut”when bull moose actively seek out numerous female cows for mating. The rut is also marked by bull moose challenging other bulls with their antlers for the right to mate with a female. Things change after mating, the bull will not remain with the female, but will return to the solitary animal it is.

The female cow on the other hand takes on the challenge of not only giving birth to calves, but raising them. Typically the moose cow will give birth to one or two calves in mid-May after a 230-day gestation period. In the wild this time period is dangerous as bears, cougars and wolves are all on the hunt. The female will defend and care for the young calf for up to one year until it exhibits strong running abilities.

This moose calf literally sits in this painting at an important threshold in its young life after having experienced important growth and maturity. Its mother can be credited with having successfully weaned, protected and educated the young calf to have survived four challenging seasons. With its head somewhat buried in the grass and its initial reddish coat changing to a darker, duller brown ones of adults, this yearling is almost ready to venture out on its own. The survival rate for yearlings is between 75 to 80% with males having much more success.

(Scientific Name: alces)

CLOSE-UPS

HIGHER RESOLUTION CLOSE-UPS OF PAINTING CAN BE SEEN AT BOTTOM OF PAGE

Original art is best seen in person. If that is not always possible, then four cropped close-ups set here in higher resolution of the original painting can help. Move from left side, clockwise, the white cropping marks indicate the area in the painting.

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