Exploding moose

yes, you read that right. I saw a moose explode yesterday. I went commissary shopping on base and was driving back on Richardson Highway to North Pole when a guy in a rattle trap old minivan blew by me. The roads were pretty clear, but the guy was foolhardy in the extreme to be traveling at 75 mph plus on that road. Near the Chena flood channel, a yearling moose stepped out onto the road from the median and just stood there. It was like a horrible game of chicken -- the car never flinched, wavered, slowed, anything -- and that moose absolutely imploded from the impact.

Quite honestly the guy was lucky to be alive -- check out these pictures of what usually happens during a moose vs car situation. The moose blew apart into two separate pieces and was a small one, which is probably why this guy will live to tell the tale. Unbelievably when I stopped to help, he got out and looked at the damage, and managed to drive away -- engine rattling and clanking ominously the whole way. I stood there absolutely stunned, next to this steaming moose carcass and the absolutely gianormous blood smear on the road. As I turned to get back in my car and go home (with a leery eye out for a pissed mama moose) a guy in a red pickup pulled up to ask me what happened. I told him, he eyed me for a second and asked if I minded. Minded what, I wondered. He walked over and grapped the back half of the moose, dragged it heavily to his truck and heaved it in. He then did the same with the front half. Again, stunned bunny expression from Erin. He drove off, I drove off and wondered if I had just Twilight Zoned it.

Charlie explained that this sort of thing is common practice -- it's very common for people to keep animals killed in this manner, and some police departments even keep lists of people to call when they are called to an animal-car collision so they can come get the freshly killed carcass. That gives me a major hooz, but hey, whatever floats your boat. I asked Charlie why the guy asked me if I minded, and he said as first arrival, I had dibs. Oh boy. Guess if I had acted with more celerity I could now have three hundred pounds of moose meat getting rendered for me. But I hate getting blood stains out of the minivan so there you go. BLEAH.

Yup, things are different up here.