Their food consists of voles, mice, berries, small birds, eggs, nuts, vegetation, insects, red squirrels, snowshoe hares, and carrion. Their predators are lynx, coyotes, red foxes, hawks, owls, eagles, and people.

They live throughout Alaska where there are trees. Trees are essentail. They are good tree climbers and have sharp nonretractable claws. Mice and voles are their primary food and they will immediately drag its prey into a thicket or some other cover to protect itself from attack while feeding in the open.