Buzzwinkle!! Is No More!!

Here's a fun lil' story from theADN / anchoragedailynews, about a celebrityMoose!! or as my MastertheSam!! would say, "Meece",

cos when hapless pedestrians spot one of these close by, they Jump like they've seen "Mice",

and they wanna scream "Eeek!!" like they've seen Mice,

but this scary sight they've just seen weighs almost a ton and not mere Ounces that Mice weigh-henceforth they "Race" away.

See?! M, eee, ce... Meece!!

Just don't ask master to explain his villageSafetyCareer ok?!

It's gone completely kaput!! and still is,

then he tried other lines of work in theCity!!
From villageSecurity!! to chickenFricassee!!

From Transport theVillagerOut!! to Scrub that pan Out!! and now to hand-stuck-out!!

From servingRestrainingOrder!! to whippingUpEggsTempura!!

hhmmmmm.... and he's got bad teeth too, and his ass still has a lump from sliding down theApt stairs last month on theIce!!

anyway, Read allaboudett!!
---------------------------------
Weep, Anchorage;
Buzzwinkle is no more


City-loving moose brought low by wound, bad teeth

By JAMES HALPIN
jhalpin@adn.com
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/wildlife/moose/story/366454.html

Published: April 5th, 2008 03:03 AM
Last Modified: April 5th, 2008 04:37 AM

The downtown moose with an affinity for fermented crab apples and Christmas lights is dead.

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Anchorage-area wildlife biologist Rick Sinnott killed the aging bull moose known as Buzzwinkle with a shotgun blast after finding him lying in a lot behind Anchorage Printing in Spenard, severely emaciated and unable to get up.

The moose was at least 13 years old -- a senior citizen by moose standards -- with badly worn teeth and an infected wound on his rump, both of which contributed to his demise, said Sinnott, who works for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

"He was really on his death bed over there," he said. "It was just a matter of time. If he were any other moose, I probably would have shot him sooner. ... He had a good life, other than getting tangled in Christmas lights from time to time."

The beginning of the end came in February, when Buzzwinkle was spotted near Ship Creek munching on twigs. He had a football-sized lump on his left hindquarter. Initially, it appeared the old bull might have been hit by a car, but Sinnott suspects an arrow might have been responsible for the puncture-wound injury.

The hip appeared to have healed by the time biologists caught up with him last Thursday, Sinnott said. But a post-mortem check of the moose revealed a large abscess under the surface, which likely slowed him down and hindered his ability to browse for food, Sinnott said.

The even-tempered moose has popped up sporadically over the years, but it wasn't until he got his antlers tangled in a rope swing in a Turnagain Parkway yard in November 2004 that he got darted and tagged, becoming instantly recognizable, Sinnott said. Since then, Buzzwinkle has been a downtown fixture, often seen sporting a tangle of Christmas lights in his rack.

Buzzwinkle earned his title -- the "most embarrassing nickname ever given to a moose," according to Sinnott -- in November, after he ate a pile of fermented crab apples in the courtyard of Bernie's Bungalow Lounge. Still tangled in the Christmas lights he'd found in Town Square Park, the moose assumed a disoriented pose as he began snorting steam and staring off into the distance, apparently drunk.

"That kind of sucks," said bartender Regina Senior, upon learning of Buzzwinkle's fate. "There's not a whole lot of cities that have moose hanging out downtown. It's kind of cool, 'cause they're huge."

The moose was likely eating the soft crab apples because his teeth were in such poor condition, said Jessy Coltrane, the assistant Anchorage-area biologist. Many of Buzzwinkle's teeth were broken or missing, and the ones that remained were severely worn because of his age, she said. Moose generally live to be between 8 and 10 years old, Coltrane said.

"Whenever you have a moose like that, that is a local landmark, it's sad to see them go," she said. "He was a really laid-back moose. We like to have the calm ones around."

Since earning his name, Buzzwinkle has been filmed walking the streets by the crew of the Discovery Channel's "MythBusters" for an episode questioning whether it is better for a driver to brake or accelerate if a moose collision is unavoidable. The episode has not yet aired.

The moose is also featured in the current issue of Alaska Magazine, Sinnott said. Buzzwinkle has Christmas lights in his antlers in the photo.

The U.S. Forest Service is using Buzzwinkle's meat, which was unfit for human consumption because of the infected injury, to catch wolverines that will be fitted with radio collars for research, Sinnott said. With most trapping seasons coming to an end, the only other option would have been to bury him at the landfill, he said.

"That didn't seem like a way for a wild moose to end his days," he said. "Better to be eaten by a wolverine."

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.
----------------------------------

luvs, MoselyMoose!! X:oD
theStuffed toy.

cos Master is walking to work today, let's hope some driver splashes him!!
k!?, k?! K?!

bye....

time to google lettuce, cabbidge and pumpkinz!!
----------------------------------


ADN Comments
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23 April 5, 2008 - 11:14pm | brrr99

Mr. Sinnott

I certainly don't envy Rick on days he must do the things he sometimes must..

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22 April 5, 2008 - 9:18pm | arcticamy

anchorage no more

Anchorage is now just Big without the Wildlife.

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21 April 5, 2008 - 5:20pm | crbypass

grow up

I really hate the cutesy names for wild animals and zoo animals. Sheesh.

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20 April 5, 2008 - 4:35pm | alleshausen

Buzzwinkle

Why don't you leave the wolverines alone?

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19 April 5, 2008 - 4:29pm | queenmother

Buzzwinkle

Sorry about his wounds. Glad a professional was available to end his misery. Sorry it was a shotgun blast - wonder why we have to bait and kill wolverines - are they invading our space or have we invaded theres? Wild animals don't have much of a chance in Alaska anymore - in case you think I'm an outsider - been here since 1946.

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April 5, 2008 - 4:52pm | Bonaccorso

wolverines

Not once in the article did it state they were going to kill the wolverines. So quick to judge without reading the actual info. TAG and STUDY

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18 April 5, 2008 - 3:07pm | rdrosenberg

Buzzwinkle

How very sad that someone wounded this guy--some people have no morals

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April 5, 2008 - 8:56pm | inawe1

rdrowenberg,

I agree, some people have no compassion or understanding, thus you see their responses.

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April 5, 2008 - 9:00pm | inawe1

OK now I am ready for the whiplash,

because I have wisdom and understanding along with knowledge, but who will listen to me? I have no credintials or degrees, I have only experience on my side of what might work. I have do degree's, thus to most no knowledge. I guess that gives them the right to degrade those they do not understand.

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17 April 5, 2008 - 1:12pm | samuellflyinghorse

Buzzwinkle!!

hhmmm......

who'll take his place then?!

hhhmmmm.....

seems to me that an former VPSO used to wear $100 Werner, brown coveralls while on duty,

and sometimes, wore a sillyAntler rack that he made, to amuse theSchoolKidz & toddlers, cos he was all brown looking and was fun to play with at Potlatches, etc.

I'll see if I can contact him so he can help out around downTown this coming summer!!

erhh. There will be conditions too I suppose!!, from this former AntlerHeaded / villageOfficer,

uhm.. He now drinks a little, so NO eating of dumb rotten apples for him,

Just a few Doubles of Stoli, Sky, or JD and the occasional VanillaSteamer & cookies,

and please, don't shoot at him, I've been shot at enough, assaulted enough out in theVillage!!

alright...
luvs, theSam!!
slflyinghorse
FoolWinkle!! X:oP

-alaska village tales-

edit | reply | flag this »

16 April 5, 2008 - 12:59pm | toklat2

moose

what a nice moose..but why in Anchorage are there so many moose?
Anchorage is now in population plus
some ways..a metropolitan city which
would seem to indicate as large as a
moose can be the many moose there
would be a problem for the many drivers of cars plus sure not a natural
habitat for the moose either.

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April 5, 2008 - 5:45pm | sondrals

hmmm

because we didn't allot them land to build moosie condos?

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15 April 5, 2008 - 11:25am | bethm

Sad.

It's too bad that someone shot him with an arrow. I'm glad Rick was there to take care of him.

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14 April 5, 2008 - 11:22am | antlers

Well done

Well done Rick. As good as it is to have animals roaming the city, it is also good to have wildlife professionals to deal with them.

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13 April 5, 2008 - 10:40am | Mark_Stopha

Nice commentary

Is this reporter born and raised in L.A.? Is he using his position at ADN as a stepping stone to the National Inquirer? Why not say the bull was euthanized with a firearm, rather than "killed the bull with a shotgun blast". It's hard enough for anyone - even a vet or a biologist - to do this part of their job, without sensationalizing it with inflammatory descriptions better fit for a video game description or a Terminator movie.

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April 5, 2008 - 1:11pm | Gyro1949

"Blast from a shotgun" BLEEDS, though!

Hence, it leads.

:(

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April 5, 2008 - 8:37pm | inawe1

Gyro,

you come across as insensitive, judgemental, and unsensitive to those have gone through trials in their life. To bad that (we, they) are not afforded the chance to look into the skelotons in your closet.

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April 5, 2008 - 11:28am | linnells

Thank you for emphasizing the thought

behind Comment 6) sent at 8:24am: More respect for moose and man would have been shown by saying, "The 13-year-old moose was unable to get up and was so severely emaciated, Sinnott put him down."

reply | flag this »

12 April 5, 2008 - 9:37am | batman2

rick sinnot

good job!!

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April 5, 2008 - 4:55pm | seanm

~~

~

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April 5, 2008 - 4:55pm | seanm

~~

~

reply | flag this »

April 5, 2008 - 4:51pm | seanm

~~

Bully of a shot!

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11 April 5, 2008 - 9:25am | al1g_ak

R.I.P.Buzzwinkle

Truly a one of a kind moose

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10 April 5, 2008 - 9:03am | bflodaved

"Buzzwinkle"

Why not bury the old guy in Town Square Park. He brought us so much joy over the years. He would be a welcome addition to the new"Town Square Park". God rest his soul, he will surely be missed by all downtown residents. Dave

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9 April 5, 2008 - 8:47am | ineedacruise

Idiots!!

I love reading these comments, makes me laugh first thing in the morning, or pisses me off royally.
Rick Sinnott is a Fish and Game Biologist doing his job, and I thank you for doing it as well as you do Sir.
to "gjinak" (idiot)
the moose had an 'infection', I myself would not eat this meat, or want anyone I know eating this meat!
to "bigd76" (another idiot)
this article had nothing to do with the 'homeless' situation in Anchorage.
to "the dude with the bow and arrow"
idiot, you should be proud of yourself making children cry...

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April 5, 2008 - 7:32pm | gjinak

cruising idiot!

Sounds like you've eaten something bad, meat or otherwise! You are an infection on the butt of life!! If you'd lived here for any time at all you'd know of what I was speaking. I'm positive that Sinnot knows, and that's enough. You need to crawl back under your rock and STFU. Bye.

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April 5, 2008 - 10:16pm | ineedacruise

haha

all day you must have been waiting for a reply to your ignorant rants....LOL, so you had to resort to this, your a pathetic excuse for a human being.
I am an Alaskan native, I was born and raised in interior Alaska, my parents and their parents lived off this land, I have lived off this land my entire life, my kids live off this land, and their kids will live off this land too.
You said:
"If you'd lived here for any time at all you'd know of what I was speaking", what I read David, was a bunch of dribble about homeless people, not a damn thing to do with the moose...lalalalalalalalala so why don't you STFU! Anita

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April 5, 2008 - 9:42am | Gyro1949

Which brings to mind an amusing story.

A few years back, (10, I believe,) a neighbor was a big hunter. In season, he had the license to shoot. And out of season, he held a bow hunting permit. (Or whatever it takes, since I'm no hunter.)

Anyway, he lived two doors down from us. We all lived in a new subdivision in the woods on Chena Ridge.

A moose or two would frequent the area whenever hunting by guns was illegal.

One day, a moose wandered through that neighbor's yard. He grabbed his bow and went outside and followed the moose until he could get a shot at it.

By the time it was just right for his shot, the moose was standing in our immediately next-door neighbor's yard. That neighbor, and his two young kids were watching the moose.

Well, the kids got a rude awakening when an arrow suddenly appeared in the side of the moose and the moose took off toward our house before falling down in our neighbor's yard.

The hunter followed up shortly and put the final shot into the moose in full view of the neighbors and their kids.

I'm guessing those kids will grow up to be virulently anti-hunter.

:)

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April 5, 2008 - 4:57pm | seanm

>>>---------->

That crazy Ted Nugent,he sure is a caution!

reply | flag this »

April 5, 2008 - 1:02pm | toklat2

gyro

your reply very worthwhile. Any one should seriously
think about this.

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April 5, 2008 - 1:09pm | Gyro1949

While kids should eventually be introduced to reality...

...These particular kids were a couple years too young, in my estimation, to have to have seen that.

I do want folks to know that the meat wasn't wasted. The hunter bagged it. And, maybe thanks to my asking, he carted off the gut pile so my dogs wouldn't be tempted...As they have in other places within the subdivision.

Life's cycles happen.

:-\

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April 5, 2008 - 8:54am | bigd76

Hmmm.

You sound like a coward to me. You know, someone who talks crap behind their screen name! David

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April 5, 2008 - 8:53am | labriyut

ineedacruise too!

Maybe a few days sitting on a beach listening to the waves roll in and out, in and out, in and out...ahhhhhh!

Brings down my blood pressure just thinking about it!

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April 5, 2008 - 8:32pm | inawe1

Quite trying,

Stop thinking it does not concern you. Unless you have an answer to the worlds through your chiropractic services then you have no answer.

reply | flag this »

8 April 5, 2008 - 8:38am | njandy610

for bigd76

Please take your whining somewhere else - you know nothing and demonstrate it whenever you open your mouth. I say - So long, Buzz - it's been good to know ya. Glad you didn't have to suffer a long, slow, and painful death.

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April 5, 2008 - 8:42am | bigd76

Who asked you to open your big mouth?

I could care less what you think. I'm entitled to my opinion just as you are. David

reply | flag this »

April 5, 2008 - 9:09am | ineedacruise

if your so damn worried about the homeless situation

why don't you get off your big ass and do something about it!! Obviously its weighing heavy on your mind..

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April 5, 2008 - 9:12am | bigd76

Why don't you go jump on that cruise!

And never come back!

reply | flag this »

April 5, 2008 - 9:36am | Gyro1949

You have FANS, too!

Aren't they special?

:)

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April 5, 2008 - 10:28am | bigd76

They are very special indeed!

:)

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April 5, 2008 - 1:05pm | Gyro1949

Call 'em your "Entourage."

And wear your ball cap sideways, (losing fifteen points from your IQ,) loads of gaudy but glittery bling, (showing absolutely no taste,) and slouch, (with a sort of limp,) no matter what you are doing.

You could be a RAP Star!

You may even attract paparazzi!

;)

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April 5, 2008 - 1:11pm | bigd76

Did you notice that someone at adn deleted part of our posts?

From this morning that is. I guess they don't like it when you call someone out on here and then stand behind your real name...

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April 5, 2008 - 6:34pm | Gyro1949

I hadn't noticed, today.

But I have noticed before on other days.

Spooky.

Probably Bush's nasty ol' Patriot Act, huh?

;)

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7 April 5, 2008 - 8:33am | liberalnut

Some a-hole

just had to shoot him with an arrow. Yeah, we need more hunters.

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April 5, 2008 - 8:57am | labriyut

we need them like we need more "I hate America" liberals, huh?

I'll keep the hunters and if it was an arrow that did him in the jerk wasn't a hunter anyway!

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April 5, 2008 - 8:35am | bigd76

No kiddding.

We do have responsible hunters up here. But it's the idiots that do crap like this that make all legitimate hunters look bad.

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6 April 5, 2008 - 8:24am | linnells

More respect for moose and man

would have been shown if this article had said, "Anchorage-area wildlife biologist Rick Sinnott found the aging bull moose known as Buzzwinkle, lying in a lot behind Anchorage Printing in Spenard. The 13-year-old moose was unable to get up and was so severely emaciated, Sinnott put him down.

reply | flag this »

April 5, 2008 - 8:27am | bigd76

You're right.

It doesn't help the cause when adn says that Rick Sinnot killed the moose with a "shotgun" blast.

reply | flag this »

April 5, 2008 - 1:12pm | toklat2

why not call what was done what was done?

Putting nicer word choice but if that was the action
taken then it was and is much more truthful.
A pet peeve of mine is the word choice harvesting as
to killing animals as they are not of the plant species .Harvest is the appropriate choice in
that action.

reply | flag this »

April 5, 2008 - 9:26am | seanm

The Cause!?!

Ooooooh,scary 'ShotGun' Blasts!

reply | flag this »
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