In North America, moose range from Alaska to the northern Rocky Mountains in the United States, and eastward to Newfoundland. The extensive boreal forests of Canada provide the largest moose range in North America and moose occur in both territories and in every province except Prince Edward Island. Samuel Hearne sighted moose south of Great Slave Lake in 1771. At about the same time, there were reports of moose seen down the Mackenzie River as far as Inuvik and east to Great Bear Lake. Traditional moose range encompassed suitable habitat south of the treeline throughout the NWT. Reports indicate that moose began extending their range eastward in the early 1900's.

Since the early 1900's, moose have been seen at numerous locations on the tundra where adequate forage is available. They have been sighted recently near Bathurst Inlet and Coronation Gulf. They have been hunted near Coppermine for years and one was even shot on the east side of Victoria Island.

In the Keewatin, two moose were seen on the Tha-anne River south of Arviat in 1972, and they have also been seen near the Kazan River. Moose distribution near treeline and on the tundra is scattered. Areas with lush willow growth often have small local concentrations of moose, such as the Thelon Game Sanctuary.

Grey shaded area - Distribution of Moose

South of the treeline, moose are widely distributed in the NWT. Generally, they are found only at low densities (5 to 15 moose per 100 km2) compared to other northern jurisdictions in the boreal forest. The best areas for moose are characterized by semi-open forest cover, an abundance of willow and aspen stands, and are located close to lakes, river valleys, stream banks or sand bars. They prefer deciduous shrubs for fall and winter food and thick conifers for winter cover. In the summer they can be found close to river valleys and lakes where they feed on aquatic vegetation. Moose tend to favour areas 15-30 years after a forest fire because natural regeneration provides all of the habitat types they require.