Alaska has many species of Bear, Caribou, and some of the world largest moose. Heavy bodied and long-legged, moose are the largest members of the deer family. They range in color from golden brown to almost black, depending upon the season and the age of the animal. Full grown male bulls stand almost 6 feet tall at the shoulder, and bulls in prime condition weigh from 1,200 to 1,600 lbs. Adult females or cows are somewhat smaller and weigh 800 to 1,300 lbs. A 1,600-lb moose will field dress out at about 950 lbs, yielding approximately 500 lbs of meat. Alaskans and nonresidents annually harvest 6,000 to 8,000 moose, which translates into about 3.5 million pounds of usable meat.
Only bull moose have antlers. The largest moose antlers in North America come from Alaska, the Yukon Territory, and the Northwest Territories of Canada. Trophy class bulls are found throughout Alaska, but the largest come from the western portion of the state. Moose occasionally produce trophy-size antlers when they are 6 or 7 years old, with the largest

antlers grown at approximately 10 – 12 years of age. In the wild, moose rarely live more than 16 years.
Moose are generally associated with northern forests in North America, Europe, and Russia. In Europe, they are called "elk." In Alaska, they thrive in suitable habitat from the Stikine River of Southeast Alaska to the Colville River on the Arctic Slope. They are most abundant in recently burned areas that contain willow and birch shrubs, on timberline plateaus, and along the major rivers of Southcentral and Interior Alaska.
During fall and winter, moose consume large quantities of willow, birch, and aspen twigs. In some areas, moose actually establish a "hedge" or browse line 6 to 8 ft above the ground by clipping most of the terminal shoots of favored food species. Spring is the time of grazing as well as browsing. Moose eat a variety of foods, particularly sedges, equisetum more commonly known as horsetail, pond weeds, and grasses. During summer, moose feed on vegetation in shallow ponds, and the leaves of birch, willow, and aspen.
The Alaska Moose is a subspecies of Moose that ranges from Alaska to western Yukon. The Alaska Moose is the largest subspecies

of moose. Alaska Moose inhabit boreal forests and mixed deciduous forests throughout most of Alaska and most of Western Yukon. Like all Moose species, the Alaska Moose is solitary and only comes into contact with other moose for mating or competition for mates. During mating season, in autumn and winter, male Alaska Moose become very aggressive and prone to attacking when startled. Alaska Moose ranges throughout Alaska, to most of the western Yukon, Canada. Due to its large range, humans frequently come into contact with the moose. Alaska Moose inhabit isolated forests, which helps the moose hide from predators such as wolves and hunters. There is a large population of about 225,000 individuals. To keep the population of Alaska Moose in balance, they are routinely hunted by humans every autumn and winter.
Alaska Moose have a similar diet to other moose subspecies, consisting of terrestrial vegetation forbs and shoots from trees such as willow and birch. Alaska Moose require a daily intake of 9770 calories. Alaska Moose lack upper front teeth but have eight sharp incisors on their lower jaw. They also have a tough tongue, gums and lips to help chew woody vegetation.

Alaska Moose have no social bonds with each other and only come into contact with each other to mate, or for two bull moose to fight over mating rights. Although a bull moose is not usually aggressive towards humans, during mating season it may attack any creature it comes into contact with, including humans, wolves, elk, deer or bears. Bull moose often get their antlers locked during a fight, and both moose typically die from starvation. Bull moose call out a subtle mating call to attract female moose and to warn other males. If a male moose loses to another male, he has to wait another year to mate. Alaska Moose mate every year during autumn and winter, and usually produce one or two offspring at a time. At around 10–11 months, yearling Alaska Moose leave their mothers and fend for themselves.
Alaska Moose are hunted for food and sport every year during autumn and winter. People use both guns and bows to hunt moose, but they are very hard to bring down, even with a high powered rifle. The largest Alaska Moose was shot in western Yukon in September 1897; it weighed 820 kg (1,800 lbs), and was 233 cm (92 in) tall at the shoulder.