What Do Moose Eat?
Moose are herbivores with a highly seasonal diet that includes aquatic plants, tree bark, shrubs, and woody vegetation.
Their foraging behavior shifts throughout the year to meet nutritional demands, with aquatic plants playing a crucial role in summer and twigs and bark dominating in winter. With a digestive system built for bulk browsing, moose consume 30–60 pounds of vegetation daily to fuel their massive bodies and survive harsh northern environments.
Dive Deeper
- Quick Summary Table
- Moose Are Browsers, Not Grazers
- Seasonal Diet Breakdown
- How Moose Eat: The Role of Their Stomach
- Why Moose Love Aquatic Plants
- 🧪 Additional Insights
- 🎯 Final Thoughts
- 📚 References
🔍 Quick Summary Table
| Season | Primary Food Sources | Nutritional Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Shrubs, willow buds, young shoots | Protein-rich new growth |
| Summer | Aquatic plants, forbs, shrubs | Sodium and hydration |
| Fall | Bark, twigs, late-season leaves | Bulking for winter |
| Winter | Woody browse: twigs, conifers, bark | Energy-dense survival foods |
🌿 Moose Are Browsers, Not Grazers
Moose are browsers, meaning they feed primarily on shrubs, twigs, leaves, and other high-growing vegetation—unlike grazers (such as cows) that eat grass.
➤ Did you know? Moose prefer foods 3 to 7 feet above the ground, which matches their height and long legs perfectly.
📊 Stat: A single adult moose may consume up to 9,770 calories per day during peak feeding months [1].
🍂 Seasonal Diet Breakdown
Spring
- Diet: Willow, birch, aspen shoots, and buds
- Why it matters: These are rich in protein and easy to digest after a long winter.
- Behavioral note: Moose feed heavily to replenish fat stores and support calf development.
Summer
- Diet: Aquatic plants (water lilies, pondweed), fireweed, horsetail
- Nutritional need: High sodium, hydration, and minerals
- Fun Fact: Moose can dive up to 18 feet to forage underwater plants!
📊 Stat: Aquatic plants can make up up to 50% of a moose’s diet in midsummer [2].
Fall
- Diet: Dry leaves, woody plants, early conifer bark
- Purpose: Bulk up fat reserves for winter and mating season
- Behavioral note: Rutting males spend less time feeding, which may result in weight loss by winter’s start.
Winter
- Diet: Twigs from balsam fir, cedar, birch, red osier dogwood
- Challenge: Low in nutrients but abundant
- Adaptation: Moose have evolved to extract energy from fibrous, woody materials.
📊 Stat: Moose may lose 20–30% of their body weight over winter due to lower food quality and availability [3].
🐄 How Moose Eat: The Role of Their Stomach
Moose are ruminants with a four-chambered stomach. This complex digestive system allows them to:
- Regurgitate and re-chew food (cud) for better digestion
- Break down cellulose-rich woody plants
- Absorb nutrients slowly over several hours
➤ Fun Fact: A moose’s rumen can hold over 100 liters (26 gallons) of partially digested plant matter at once.
💧 Why Moose Love Aquatic Plants
Moose rely on aquatic vegetation for:
- Sodium, which is scarce in land plants
- Water intake, especially in warm months
- Cooling down—wading also helps reduce insect bites
📊 Stat: Sodium-rich aquatic plants help moose replenish salt lost through urination and sweat, especially in summer heat [4].
🧪 Additional Insights
Curious to learn more about moose foraging habits?
- Forage Preference Studies – Compare moose plant selection across North America
- Seasonal Digestibility Research – Understand why some woody plants are only eaten in winter
- Aquatic Feeding Behavior – Explore why moose are unique among deer for their underwater diet
- Nutrient Budgeting in Ruminants – How moose balance energy in low-quality food seasons
🎯 Final Thoughts
Moose have a diet that’s remarkably adaptive and finely tuned to seasonal changes. From protein-rich spring shoots to sodium-packed summer pondweed, they shift their eating habits throughout the year to survive and thrive in some of the most challenging ecosystems.
So, what do moose eat? Almost everything green they can reach—with the season deciding what’s on the menu.
📚 References
- Renecker, L. A., & Hudson, R. J. (1986). Seasonal energy expenditures and food intake in moose. Canadian Journal of Zoology. https://doi.org/10.1139/z86-107
- Peek, J. M. (2007). Ecology of North American Moose. University Press of Colorado.
- Schwartz, C. C., & Renecker, L. A. (1998). Nutrition and energetics. In Ecology and Management of the North American Moose.
- Belovsky, G. E. (1978). Diet optimization in a generalist herbivore: the moose. Theoretical Population Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-5809(78)90003-9