Why do moose swim in the lake?

Red Lake is one of the best places in Ontario for seeing moose in the summer. Anglers at Bow Narrows Camp often get great viewing opportunities and photographs like this one by Jane Bechtel.
Why do moose swim in the lake anyway?
These largest members of the deer family are superb swimmers and think nothing about swimming miles across a lake. So sometimes when we see them swimming they are just traveling. This is especially true in the fall during the mating season.
During the last two weeks of May cow moose come right to the narrows where Bow Narrows Camp is located and swim out to small islands to give birth. I believe this is a defence strategy against black bears which are likely the greatest predators of moose. The bears are ravenous after spending all winter in hibernation and are on the prowl for newborn moose calves. There is evidence that they may kill as many as 50% of the calves. Although they are powerful enough, they rarely kill adult moose, seeming to do so only when they find them in vulnerable situations, such as giving birth or sleeping.
We have seen the cows with newborn, yellow-coloured calves swimming away from islands while a black bear was swimming toward the same island from the other side.
One year the cows and calves were obviously using the lake to get away from wolves as well. Our guests could hear the wolves howling all week at night and in the daytime would see the moose on the shore of the narrows and observed they were reluctant to leave the safety of the water. Mostly though, wolves prey on moose in the winter, not the summer.
Starting in early June and throughout the summer the moose also come to the water to feed. As soon as the water weeds start sprouting at the bottom of what will become weedy bays and creeks, moose will wade out in these areas and pluck the weeds off the bottom, often staying submerged for lengthy periods.
Moose seek out the water vegetation because it is higher in sodium than are terrestrial plants. All winter the moose have browsed on woody stems that are high in potassium and low in sodium. Animals need a balance between these two minerals for their bodies to function properly. So when spring comes the moose are craving sodium. This is why you see them so often in roadside ditches. They are lapping up the water and eating the plants that are growing where all the winter road salt has accumulated.
Moose will also travel long distances in the spring to mineral licks which are usually seepages where the water and soil have just a few parts per million of sodium and calcium.
Another reason moose come to the lake is to get away from flies. Deer flies, horse flies and black flies can torment these big herbivores. During bad fly times the moose will seek out windy areas along the shoreline and will wade out so that just their heads are above water and then they will dunk their heads under too.
Finally, moose will come to the water just to cool off. We have seen moose that hang out all summer on beaches, just like people do. They will lay down in the water for hours.
If you see moose on your trip to camp this summer, remember to keep a respectful distance. We share the lake with these neat creatures. Stay far enough away that you can observe without scaring them.
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