11 January 2014

Oh, The Horror: High Crimes & Cabbage

Anchorage man cited for feeding cabbage to moose

Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited a 67-year-old Anchorage man for feeding cabbage to moose at his Hillside home.

Samuel Becker was issued a summons Saturday to appear in Anchorage District Court for intentionally feeding game, a misdemeanor with a fine up to $10,000 and a year in jail, said Megan Peters, troopers spokeswoman.

Feeding Anchorage wildlife -- intentionally or by leaving out unsecured garbage -- is a "huge problem," said Jessy Coltrane, Anchorage-area biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. She's frequently called out to deal with the consequences.

... 

Moose that are fed by people or that find an easy source of food in garbage tend to get aggressive, Coltrane said. The animals defend the lawns, garbage cans or trash bins where they know they can get easy food. Trash, especially plastic items, can clog up a moose's digestive tract, she said.

I don't mean to make light of what could endanger the moose (unindicted co-conspirator?), but it just sounded strange when I first saw the headline.

Just another slice of Alaskan life.

14 comments:

PioneerPreppy said...

Just another sign of the control environment they want us all in. A zoo from the inside and outside.

Don't feed the bears....

Rev. Paul said...

I'm not sure I disagree with this policy, Preppy - the article does say that they killed a moose last week because it was raiding garbage cans.

But I understand the sentiment, and mostly agree with it.

Old NFO said...

So are they going to indict every aircrew that throws the garbage in the dumpster behind the hangar over by the flight line galley? That damn black bear is awfully 'protective' of that dumpster!!!

Home on the Range said...

I see it being a problem but 10,000 seems a bit much for the first offense. Still I'd not want to get between a moose and his lunch.

Rev. Paul said...

NFO, there's already a fine for failure to use the so-called "bear proof" dumpsters, which available (for a tidy sum) from the waste hauling companies. Of course.

Brigid, I concur on every point. :)

threecollie said...

Just a question...what does the eagle in your header have in its claws? looks like a pig's head, but somehow I'm betting that it isn't. lol

Rev. Paul said...

That's a salmon near the end of its life, during its spawning cycle. Once they've adapted to salt water, it kills them to re-enter the fresh-water stream where they go to spawn, and they turn orange & get deformed.

Rev. Paul said...

Comment from Armed Laughing:

Man! I saw your post title and envisioned you and the family ensconced in a snow bank, surviving on cabbage - and the ensuing digestive 'issues'!
Thank goodness that wasn't the story!
:-P

gfa

threecollie said...

Thanks! I could not wait to get up today and learn the answer to this puzzle. lol

Rev. Paul said...

A bit more trivia: the deformities include a hooked upper jaw which forms a beak, and a humpback: hence their name at that stage, "humpies".

Teresa said...

Well $10K seems to be a bit high. OTOH if you live up there, everyone knows you aren't supposed to be doing that right? I wish they would have come up with a fine like that in IL for the idiots who feed bread to the geese at local ponds. Some people turn up with trash can sized garbage bags full of bread cubes. What a mess. Causes all kinds of problems. Although geese are less likely to be a direct physical danger to people and so the problem is mostly ignored.

Rev. Paul said...

It's true that most here know we're not supposed to feed the wildlife. What you're describing, though, is a whole 'nother level of stoopid. :)

ProudHillbilly said...

If I was fed cabbage as a regular diet aggressiveness would be the least of the things you'd be in danger of...

Rev. Paul said...

I heard that, ma'am - I'd be upset immediately! :)