Moose Leads Vermont Wardens to Marijuana Farm
OutdoorHub Reporters 05.03.13
Stray moose can find themselves in odd places, such as one animal that wandered into a antique marketplace in Burlington, Vermont.
“I was amazed at how big it was,” antique dealer Mary Heinrich told NECN. Wardens from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department arrived at the scene while the moose was inspecting some early colonial furniture and snorting over turn of the century fine china. With the help of local police, the wardens began guiding the large animal through traffic and weekend shopping crowds.
Wildlife experts say that May and June account for the most frequent sightings of moose in populated areas, possibly because young moose are separating from their mothers and lack direction. The wandering animals often find themselves in tricky situations and seem to be all too comfortable around humans. However, wardens say that looks can be deceiving and that the animals are stressed by the new environment.
“Just leave them alone, don’t try to get too close, don’t try to harass them,” Chief Warden Col. Dave LeCours said. “For the most part, they’re already stressed out; they’re trying to find their way out.”
This moose however, seemed to have a nose for crime fighting. As wardens continued to herd the animal towards the woods, the moose veered off and led its escort to a shed filled with marijuana plants. Surprised but not entirely caught off-guard, police obtained a search warrant and then arrested the owner of the property. Over 30 plants in different stages of growth was recovered from the shed.
“Moose do crazy things,” LeCours commented.
Wardens were able to successfully guide the moose to a forested area, where they hope it will stay barring another antique hunt.
