Moose (Alces alces) are the largest species in the deer family, standing up to two metres tall at the shoulder. They inhabit boreal and mixed forests across northern North America, Scandinavia, and Russia, where they browse on leaves, bark, and aquatic vegetation.
Moose meat has been a critical food source for Indigenous peoples across the northern hemisphere for thousands of years and remains an important game meat today. The flavour is rich and somewhat similar to beef but leaner and with a distinctive gamey quality. Common cuts include steaks, roasts, and ground meat, with organ meats like liver also consumed.
Moose is not found wild in Australia and is rarely available commercially. It is primarily consumed in Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, and Russia, where it is obtained through regulated hunting seasons.
How it's produced
Moose are almost entirely wild-harvested through regulated hunting. In North America and Scandinavia, government agencies manage moose populations through seasonal hunting permits, bag limits, and sometimes lottery-based tag systems. Hunting typically occurs in autumn during the rutting season.
There is very limited moose farming, primarily in Scandinavia and Russia, but it remains small-scale and experimental. Wild moose browse freely on forest vegetation, making them difficult and impractical to raise in conventional farming systems. After a successful hunt, the animal is field-dressed (gutted) on site and the meat is butchered into standard cuts. The liver and other organs are also harvested. Most moose meat enters the food system through personal consumption rather than commercial sale.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for other red meat, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
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