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Moose frequent shorelines of shallow lakes and marshes feeding morning and evening on pondweeds or water lilies.
Moose 
Alces alces
"The Moose or Elke is a creature, or rather if you will a Monster their horns very big (and brancht out into palms) the tips whereof are sometimes found to be two fathom asunder and in height from the tip of the forefoot to the pitch of the shoulder twelve foot, both which hath been taken by some of my sceptique Readers to be monstrous lyes". (Josselyn, 1674 , quoted from R.L. Peterson. 1955. North American Moose).
No wonder those who read the notes of the seventeenth century explorer Josselyn were a bit skeptical!
Granted, the moose does have palmate antlers, but the greatest recorded spread is just over two metres, substantially less than "two fathom". Though shoulder height can approach two metres in extremely large animals , "12 foot" could be considered quite an exaggeration.
But even the true dimensions are impressive. Because this largest member of the deer family sometimes exceeding 580 kilograms, is one of the biggest land mammals in North America, truly an animal of monstrous proportions.
The moose, a boreal forest inhabitant, takes it name from an Algonkian word for "eater of twigs". In northern Europe and Asia where it is also found, it's called elk, something that contributes much confusion to reading accounts of early Canadian exploration.
Normally silent and solitary, during the breeding season or rut, from about mid-September to mid-October, bull moose become aggressive and advertise their presence with grunt-like calls or coughing. Though this is a challenge to other males, confrontations only rarely result in fierce battles. Most often opposing bulls will paw the ground and thrash nearby shrubs with their antlers, until one departs. Females are also known to be aggressive at this time but usually only toward other females, as they vie for the male's attention.
After the rut, moose once again become solitary, and bulls shed their antlers. Winters are spent in fairly small areas with food and cover in close proximity. Preferred winter browse may be willow, dogwood, aspen or birch twigs, and other shrubby plants. Daily food intake can exceed 13 kilograms.
In spite of their size and the thick cover they inhabit, moose can move with surprising stealth to escape danger. If pressed, a moose can be a dangerous adversary. Using sharp hooves, adults will fend off small packs of wolves.
Around April, bulls begin to develop new antlers under a velvet-like covering that won't be shed until late August. Spring also finds the moose undergoing a shift in preferred habitat. The first growth of lush green plants, often found on south facing slopes that melt first, is highly relished by the moose.
Young are born in late May or early June, and at birth may weigh 11 to 13 kilograms. Growth is so rapid that by autumn calves can weigh over 10 times that much.
Summer diet includes grasses and aquatic plants. Moose frequent shorelines of shallow lakes and marshes feeding morning and evening on pondweeds or water lilies. Strong swimmers, they've been observed to dive in search of succulent roots. Midday is spent resting in willow thickets along the marsh edge.
