Over the past few years, Hoback has become a household name around Wyoming and across the country, as the most famous of Grand Teton National Park’s bull moose.
Indeed, his fame has gone global, wildlife photographer Deena Sveinsson, who has followed Hoback for years, told Cowboy State Daily.
However, his reign could be coming to an end. Estimated to be as much as 18 years old, “he’s definitely a senior citizen” among moose, which rarely live past 20 in the wild, she said.
This year, he was likely the first of the Grand Teton bull moose to shed his antlers. Sveinsson and her husband, Knut, were there on the afternoon of Dec. 10, when Hoback shed his first antler.
When they returned the next morning, Hoback was antlerless, having shed the other one either late Dec. 10, or during the wee hours of Dec. 11.
Early December is a bit soon for moose to start shedding antlers. The shedding season usually really gets rolling from late December to late January.
However, lower testosterone, due to age, might have caused Hoback to start shedding his antlers early, Sveinsson said.
He’s been showing his age and “has slowed down quite a bit” past couple of years, she said.
“It was thought that last year, he might not make it through the winter,” she said.
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