Moose killings probed

September 5, 2006

By CASEY RESSLER/Frontiersman

Alaska State Troopers are asking for the public's help in two moose-poaching cases that came to light last week in the Houston and Willow areas.

In both cases, moose were shot and meat wasn't salvaged. Trooper Matt Hightower of the Big Lake post said he's hoping someone has information about either one of the two cases.

&#8220If people know anything about them, it gives us a big help,” Hightower said. &#8220Because otherwise, we don't have a lot to go on.”

On Aug. 28, troopers received a report of a bull moose shot about a half-mile to a mile northeast of Horseshoe Lake, in the Big Lake area.

&#8220It looks like it was shot a few days before the report came in. It was a sublegal bull that was shot and left in a swamp. No meat was salvaged from it,” Hightower said. &#8220They just left it sit there.”

The next day, Aug. 29, Hightower said troopers received another report of a poached moose, this time at Mile 31 Willow Fishhook Road, near the Churchill Trail.

&#8220It was a cow moose, again failure to salvage meat, in an area that was closed to cows. It isn't an area where someone could even have a permit for a cow,” Hightower said.

If people have information about either one of the cases, Hightower asked them to call the Big Lake post at 892-3474 or the trooper dispatch at

352-5401.

Contact Casey Ressler at

352-2265 or valleylife@

frontiersman.com.