Moose rut in AK???

[BadMedicine]

Was the moose rut later this year??? Last year, last week of season we were driving down Tudor, and saw a Bull moose. So we go back to *put the sneak on it* and there's a cow with him. The cow didn't like us being there, and took off into the woods, the bull closed the gap to about 3 feet, and followed her. *Something* was obviosly going on. We also saw more bulls taken out near the end of season last year, we thought, because the rut was going on.
This year though, we didn't see nearly as many antlers taken out, nor did we hear or see any rut activities. About two weeks after season the media, news channels and newspapers (only in alaska are they this starved for stories) Announced the rut, and had pictures of moose, and small groups of them for a couple weeks. What reminded me of this is today, November, I saw a bull and a cow on lake otis together. Could the rut still be lingering? Is it weather that triggers the rut? I know last year moose seaon was ALOT colder than this year, do they wieght for the cold weather?
Was just wondering if anybody else noticed this, or if I'm just imagining things.

 

[Field-dressed]

Usually the rut is in full swing by early to mid-October, but bulls start sparring and rounding up harems in September. Dwindling daylight (photoperiod) and possibly cows going into estrous (scent) triggers rutting in bulls. The few cows that aren't impregnated during their first estrous cycle come back into estrous a month later in November, getting the bulls worked up again. May have been what you saw in town. The rut on the Copper River Delta was right on track. You might not have seen as many bulls taken out of the Nelchina this year (if that's where you hunted) because there's a lot fewer moose to be had in that area. Calf survival is minimal because of predation, the population is going in the toilet. Same thing but not as severe in the Mat-Su Valley.