The moose is the largest member of the deer family. It is an important member of the food chain. It is a source of food for several large predators including wolves, grizzlies and black bear. Scavengers such as wolverine and lynx depend on the moose killed by wolves and bears.

Moose populations are found around marshy areas, ponds, rivers and at or below tree-line. They are vegetarians and require a reasonable quantity of aquatic plants and willow type shrubs to exist. Its odd looking nose is made for submerging beneath water as they search for succulent aquatic plants.

Grizzlies are responsible for 50% of moose calf mortality under eight weeks of age, while wolves hunt the older calves and adults.

When threatened, moose will strike out with their front hooves and are capable of inflicting considerable damage. They sometimes kill dogs and have been known to kill people who get in the way of an angry moose. Their long legs can cover ground at amazing speeds.

The moose has a totally different way of dealing with snow. Its stilt like legs are so long that it can move about comfortably in up to 3 feet of snow. However, this uses up a lot of energy, so when the snow gets deep, moose often "yard up" in groups, in an area with lots of twigs and branches for food. There they trample down the snow, giving them more freedom to move while eating. If moose are forced to move in deep snow they often use packed trails and will sometimes refuse to get off them even when confronted with a dog team. This is actually a big problem in Alaska whereboth dog teams and moose are very common.