The silence of an autumn bog can be breathtaking. Except for a lone raven soaring over the bog, and the drizzle of the rain, the landscape seems to stand still. Day by day after the autumnal equinox, nights grow longer as darkness takes over the dwindling summer light. 

Bellows that pierce the autumn air indicate that the male moose has entered breeding season, the rut. During rut, the males battle with their antlers and dig holes, so called rut pits, in the ground where they urinate and roll to create smells that attract females.  

The mating season is tough on the males: they almost forget all about eating for nearly two weeks and may consequently lose one fifth of their body weight. Sometimes the trials of strength during mating do not allow the males to gather sufficient fat reserves for the winter and they die in the winter storms.