The defeated bull again fled, this time pursued by the victor until the two were out of sight. In October, the end of the breeding season signals the start of the long, dark winter. The bull moose return to a solitary existence. Having lost 20 percent of their weight during the rutting season, they must face the winter in a considerably weakened condition. The forest is again enveloped in silence, as if nothing has happened.
Snow falls and covers the trees.
The young willows and dwarf birches bend under the weight of the snow, offering soft tips of branches to the moose. Sometimes a moose will rise up on its hind legs and knock down an even larger branch from the dwarf birch. The soft twigs and bark at the tip are now also available to the snowshoe hare that shares this forest. In December, the moose drop their huge antlers, which will provide a valuable source of calcium for small animals. Under the curtain of the aurora, a fetal moose passes through the same winter.