Moose

Alces alces

Moose. Photo:Peter Mirejovsky

Like their kin the deer, moose are wide-ranging in Canada. They occur throughout Canada except for the southern portions of the central provinces, the west coast, and Vancouver Island. In the summer and spring, they can be found foraging for food along lake shores and alder swamps. Like deer, moose will migrate to higher ground in the winter and yard along with other moose. Moose are the least social of the ungulates, often ignoring the presence of other moose. Their association with each other in the moose-yards seems to be one born of necessity. Like deer, moose give a boost to the Canadian economy from hunters. Management practices for moose are similar to those of the deer. Protecting an area which provides shelter and food is vital for the maintenance of a healthy population. Moose browse heavily upon green herbaceous plants during the summer, but switch to browsing on buds and twigs of hardwood trees in the winter when they yard. Moose populations have decreased recently due to the spread of a deadly parasitic brain roundworm. This parasite has spread northward from the USA, and often results in the death of the moose.

Distribution of Moose in Canada