The wolves are very successful hunters, but they do not always catch their prey. Researchers have followed wolves hunting moose. An average male moose weights over 450 kg and stands over 2 metres at the shoulder. The hooves of a moose can kill a wolf.
Wolves avoid healthy adult moose unless the animal is hopelessly bogged down in deep snow.
They attempt to a find a young, inexperienced moose or one that has been weakened by sickness or old age. In one study, the researchers watched the wolves locate 36 moose. Of these 36 moose, half were not even tested. They were simply ignored. There must have been something about these moose that told the wolves not to waste their time and energy.