The winner usually mates with the female. By late October, adult males have exhausted their summer accumulation of fat and their desire for female company. Once again they begin feeding. Antlers are shed as early as November, but mostly in December and January. During fall and winter, moose consume large quantities of willow, birch, and aspen twigs.
Spring is the time of grazing as well as browsing.
During summer, moose feed on vegetation in shallow ponds, forbs, and the leaves of birch, willow, and aspen. Most moose make seasonal movements for calving, rutting, and wintering areas. They travel anywhere from only a few miles to as many as 60 miles during these transitions. Deep crusted snow can lead to malnutrition and subsequent death of hundreds of moose and decrease the survival of the succeeding year's calves. Moose are killed by wolves and black and brown bears.