Moose Size Comparison: Just How Big Are They?

Moose are the largest species of deer. They’re the tallest animal in North America, and they are second only to bison in weight. Yet, just how big are moose? In this complete moose size comparison guide, we’ll tackle how moose compare to other species like elk, horses, and even people. Let’s get started!

Moose Size Comparison

Before we get started, keep in mind that moose are only measured to shoulder height. It is also important to note that there are different subspecies of moose. So, moose height and weight vary depending on subspecies. There are four subspecies of moose in North America. This includes Eastern, Western, Alaskan, and Shiras moose.

The smallest is the Shiras moose, which can reach six feet tall and weigh 1,200 pounds. Eastern moose can reach around 6.5 feet tall and weigh around 1,400 pounds. Western moose also reach around 6.5 feet tall, but they are heavier at 1,600 pounds. The largest subspecies of moose is the Alaskan moose. They easily reach heights of around seven feet and weigh up to 1,600 pounds. Incredibly, the largest Alaskan moose ever recorded weighed 1,808 pounds and was 7 feet 8 inches tall.

Moose Size Comparison to an Elk

Bull elk measure about five feet tall at the shoulder. That means, standing next to a large Alaskan moose, they’d be nearly two feet shorter! Male elk average about 600-700 pounds, which is less than half the weight of most fully-grown bull Alaskan moose that average 1,200-1,600 pounds.

However, a comparison of elk and moose standing next to one another might not look as stark as expected. The range of elk in North America doesn’t extend into Alaska, which means most interactions between elk and moose would take place between the much smaller Shiras moose, which measures closer to six feet at the shoulder.

Moose Size Comparison to a Horse

Horses are measured to their withers, which is a ridge between their shoulder blades. Thoroughbred horses average about five feet four inches at their withers. So, this means an average male Alaskan moose would stand 1-1.5 feet taller at the shoulders.

However, horses have extremely variable heights. The tallest horse was a Belgian Gelding named Big Jake, who stood 82.75 inches. That’s slightly shorter than seven feet tall. That means that the world’s tallest horse would measure about the same height as a male Alaskan moose. However, it would still be nearly nine inches shorter at the shoulder than the tallest moose ever recorded.

Moose Size Comparison to a Human

The tallest moose ever was only an inch taller than Yao Ming, pictured above. He is one of the tallest NBA players ever at seven feet six inches tall. However, most people aren’t exactly NBA material. The average height for men in the U.S. is five feet nine inches. The average height for women is just over five feet three inches. So a moose can be over a foot taller than men and just under two feet taller than women.

When it comes to weight, the average man in the U.S. weighs about 200 pounds. The average woman weighs about 170 pounds. So a moose weighs around 1,000-1,400 pounds more than the average human.