How to identify it
Largest deer; up to almost 1.8 m at the shoulder, with a humped shoulder and low rump. [3][4][5]
Long mournful arched nose with a flexible upper lip; most have a fur-covered 'bell' hanging from the throat. [3][4][5]
Dark brown to nearly black, reddish or grayish brown with pale gray or white leg 'stockings'. [3][4][5]
Only bulls carry antlers: broad palms fringed with spikes, grown each summer. [3][4][5]
Field notes
- Identification Confirm cow, calf or bull using more than antler presence. Tag and season classifications are regulatory facts and must come from the current authority.[2]
Where it lives
A mosaic of second-growth forest, openings, swamps, lakes and wetlands; needs water for summer foraging and hardwood-conifer forest for winter cover; recent burns with dense willow, aspen and birch are prime. [3][4][5]
How it behaves
Rut in late September–early October; cows bawl nasally and bulls answer with a coughing bellow [3][4][5]
Browses willow, birch and aspen twigs in fall and winter, sometimes leaving a browse line 1.8–2.4 m high; feeds on aquatic plants in summer [3][4][5]
Makes seasonal movements of a few to about 100 km between calving, rutting and wintering areas [3][4][5]
Cools off in water in summer and may dive for bottom plants [3][4][5]
What changes by season
Moose move among habitat types with season. Mature cover helps shelter them from extreme summer and winter weather, while disturbance can create nutritious young browse. [2]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Alberta — hunting · 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
- British Columbia — hunting · 2026-2028 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis
- Manitoba — hunting · Manitoba Hunting Guide 2026
- New Brunswick — hunting · Hunt & Trap Regulations Summary 2026–2027
- Newfoundland and Labrador — hunting · 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Guide
- Northwest Territories — hunting · NWT Summary of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, July 1 2022 - June 30 2023
- Nunavut — hunting · Summary of the Nunavut Hunting Regulations 2021-2022
- Ontario — hunting · Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary — Moose
- Québec — hunting · Périodes de chasse à l’orignal 2026-2027
- Saskatchewan — hunting · Saskatchewan Hunters Guide 2026-27
- Alaska — hunting · 2026-2027 Alaska Hunting Regulations No. 67 (complete)
- Colorado — hunting · 2 CCR 406-2 Chapter W-2 Big Game (05/06/2026; eff. 2026-07-01)
- Idaho — hunting · Moose, Bighorn Sheep, and Mountain Goat 2025-26 Seasons and Rules
- Maine — hunting · 2026-27 Maine Hunting Seasons (Summary of Laws & Rules)
- Montana — hunting · 2026 Moose, Sheep, Goat, Bison Hunting Regulations
- Nevada — hunting · CR 26-11 2026 Approved Big Game Quotas
- New Hampshire — hunting · Fis 300 Wildlife Seasons and Rules
- North Dakota — hunting · North Dakota Hunting Seasons (season dates table)
- Utah — hunting · 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook
- Vermont — hunting · Hunting and Trapping Seasons (web page)
- Washington — hunting · 2026 Washington Big Game Hunting Seasons & Regulations (official WDFW pamphlet)
- Wyoming — hunting · WGFC Ch. 8 Moose Hunting Seasons (dated Apr 22 2026)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Across the northern forests of North America from Alaska and Canada south into the Rocky Mountains and the northern United States; introduced to Newfoundland and Colorado.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALAmerican black bear (Ursus americanus)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
- BIOLOGICALFactors that affect moose survival
Government of Ontario · reviewed 2026-09-20
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
- BIOLOGICALMoose Species Profile
Alaska Department of Fish and Game · reviewed 2026-09-30
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
- BIOLOGICALMoose - Hinterland Who's Who
Hinterland Who's Who (Canadian Wildlife Service / Canadian Wildlife Federation) · reviewed 2026-09-30
Hinterland Who's Who (Canadian Wildlife Service / Canadian Wildlife Federation)
- BIOLOGICALAlces alces (NatureServe Explorer)
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe