 Moose had been declining in the northern sections of the park since the 1960s, but the decline became more obvious after the fires.Unlike elk, which are primarily grazers and tend to eat grasses, moose are more likely to be browsers, consuming primarily woody food sources, particularly willow and subalpine fir, which were temporarily reduced by the fires.All ungulates experienced a high initial mortality the winter after the fires, but this has been attributed to a severe winter more than the fires themselves.