Ever walked through a thick patch of Alaskan willow and felt like something was watching you from ten feet up? If you’ve spent any time in the backcountry, you know that moose aren't just big deer. They are biological skyscrapers. But when people start asking how tall is the tallest moose, the answers usually get buried under a pile of hunting stories and "I saw one once" legends.
Honestly, the reality is more impressive than the myths.
The tallest moose ever officially recorded was a giant from the Yukon, killed way back in September 1897. This massive bull stood a staggering 7.6 feet tall (about 2.3 meters) at the shoulder.
Think about that for a second.
That measurement isn't to the top of its head. It’s not to the tips of its antlers. That is 7 feet and 6 inches of solid muscle and bone just to the hump on its back. If that moose were standing in your living room, its "shoulders" would be pressing against your ceiling, and its head would be somewhere in the upstairs master bedroom.
The 1897 Yukon Giant: Still the King
Most of us have a hard time visualizing nearly eight feet of animal. To give you some perspective, Yao Ming—one of the tallest players in NBA history—is 7'6". This moose was as tall at the shoulder as Yao Ming is at the top of his head.
This specific bull tipped the scales at 1,808 pounds.
It’s the gold standard for moose size, and while hunters and biologists have been looking for its successor for over 130 years, nothing has officially unseated it. You’ll hear rumors of "10-foot moose" in the deep woods of Russia or the remote corners of Denali, but those usually include the antlers in the height. In the world of biology, we measure at the withers (the shoulder hump) because antlers fall off every year. It wouldn't make much sense to change a record just because a bull had a bad calcium year, right?
Why Some Moose Get So Huge (And Others Don't)
Not all moose are created equal. If you see a moose in the Colorado Rockies, it’s likely a Shiras moose. These guys are the "runts" of the family, usually standing about 5.5 to 6 feet at the shoulder. They’re still huge, but they’d look like a pony next to the record holder.
The real titans are the Alaska-Yukon moose (Alces alces gigas).
The "gigas" part of the name is literal—it means giant. These subspecies have evolved in a high-nutrient, cold-climate environment where being massive is actually a survival strategy. Larger bodies retain heat better. Plus, if you’re nearly eight feet tall, very few things in the woods want to mess with you. Even a grizzly bear thinks twice before charging a wall of meat that weighs as much as a 1998 Toyota Corolla.
There’s also the Chukotka moose from Siberia. These are the Russian cousins of the Alaskan giants, and they are nearly identical in size. Some recent SCI (Safari Club International) records suggest that certain Siberian bulls might actually be heavier, but when it comes to pure shoulder height, the 1897 Yukon bull remains the "tallest" on the books.
The Antler Illusion: Why They Look Taller Than They Are
If you’ve ever seen a video of a moose walking past a suburban window, you’d swear it was 12 feet tall. That’s the "Antler Effect."
A mature bull’s antlers can add another 2 or 3 feet to its silhouette.
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- The Rack: A world-record spread can be over 80 inches wide.
- The Weight: Those antlers alone can weigh 75 pounds.
- The Movement: Moose have a high-stepping gait to clear fallen logs, which makes them look like they’re walking on stilts.
When you add the head and the rack to that 7.6-foot shoulder height, you are looking at a creature that realistically tops out at 10 feet or more when it’s alert and holding its head high. That’s why your brain screams "dinosaur" when you see one in the wild.
Tallest Moose Statues vs. Real Life
We can't talk about moose height without mentioning the petty (but hilarious) war between Canada and Norway.
For decades, the town of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, was home to Mac the Moose, a statue standing 32 feet tall. He was the undisputed "tallest moose" in the world until Norway went and built Storelgen, a shiny silver moose that was 33 feet tall.
Moose Jaw didn't take that sitting down. In 2019, they gave Mac a new set of antlers, boosting his height to about 34 feet to reclaim the title. It’s a bit of fun, but it shows just how obsessed we are with the scale of these animals. In the wild, though, no moose is hitting 30 feet unless it’s standing on top of a very sturdy cabin.
Surviving a Meeting With a Seven-Foot Wall of Muscle
Knowing how tall is the tallest moose is fun for trivia, but it’s actually vital for safety. People often treat moose like "forest cows," but they injure more people in Alaska than bears do.
Basically, they are grumpy.
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If you find yourself facing down a moose that looks significantly taller than you, you’ve already messed up. Their height gives them a massive advantage; they don't gore you like a bull—they kick. And because they are so tall, their hooves are perfectly leveled to strike a human in the chest or head.
Actionable Safety Tips for Moose Encounters:
- Give them 50 feet. If the moose changes its behavior (stops eating, ears go back), you’re too close.
- Look for the "hump." If the hair on that 7-foot shoulder hump is standing up, it’s a warning.
- Run. Unlike with bears, if a moose charges, you don’t stand your ground. Run behind a tree or a car. They aren't very agile when it comes to turning corners.
- Watch the kids. Because moose are so tall, they often don't even see small children as a threat—they see them as something to be stepped on.
The Future of These Giants
Is it possible there’s a moose out there right now taller than 7.6 feet?
Maybe. Biologists note that as climate change shifts vegetation patterns, some moose populations are actually seeing size decreases due to heat stress and "winter ticks." However, in the most remote parts of the Yukon and the Brooks Range, the gene pool for giants is still very much alive.
If you want to see the biggest specimens left on earth, your best bet is heading to Denali National Park in the fall or the Kenai Peninsula. Just remember to bring a long lens. You don't want to measure that shoulder height in person.
To truly appreciate the scale of these animals, spend some time looking at the Boone and Crockett Club’s records. They track the "size" through antler scoring, which is the most common way we rank these titans today. While the 1897 record is the historical peak for height, modern bulls are still pushing the limits of what a land mammal can be.
Next time you're in the woods, look at a standard doorway. That’s about 6 feet 8 inches. Now imagine a moose whose back is nearly a foot higher than that door frame. That is the reality of the Alaskan wilderness.
Next steps for your moose research:
- Check out the Boone and Crockett Club online archives to see photos of the largest racks ever recorded.
- If you're planning a trip to see them, look into Denali National Park’s "Savage River" area during the September rut.
- Look up the "Mac the Moose vs. Storelgen" saga if you want a good laugh at international roadside attraction rivalries.