You are here

Rangers Investigating Shooting Of Cow Moose Inside Denali National Park

Share

Denali National Park and Preserve rangers were investigating the illegal shooting of a cow moose inside the park, one that left two young calves to fend for themselves.

The moose carcass was discovered near the Denali Post Office inside the park Tuesday morning. Park staff quickly determined the cow moose had been shot and killed one or two days prior to its discovery.

“We have several reports of a single gunshot heard on Sunday, June 5th, sometime after 6 p.m. We’re thinking that might be part of our timeline," Kathleen Kelly, the park's Volunteer Program manager, said during a phone call Wednesday. She did not know what type of weapon was used.

The twin calves were estimated to be about three weeks old. Park wildlife staff, in consultation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, determined that catching the calves at this time would not be feasible because they are too mobile and trying to catch them would pose a danger to them. The situation will be monitored, and if the calves weaken enough to be caught safely they will be captured and transferred to a captive rearing facility.

Park rangers have determined that "there’s no evidence at this time to indicate that (the shooting) was self-defense," Ms. Kelly said. "The angle of the shot was from someone who knew what he or she was doing. This was more of a heart shot. It was a hunting-type shot.”

People authorized to carry firearms under Alaska State law are allowed to carry firearms in the park. However, the discharge of a firearm in the park and killing of the moose is a violation of both 36 CFR 2.3(a)(1)(iii) and 2.2(a)(1) – using a weapon and taking of wildlife.

While there is not a “defense of life and property” (DLP) provision in the federal laws governing national parks, there is under Alaska State law and it must be reported, park authorities said.

Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.