Fate of Pete the moose still uncertain, but deadline looms
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By SUSAN ALLEN STAFF WRITER - Published: July 26, 2009
The fate of a tame moose named Pete living on an enclosed elk farm in Irasburg remains undecided, with Fish and Wildlife Department officials still negotiating with the farm's owner about what steps to take to rid the property of white-tailed deer and moose living there in violation of state hunting regulations.
Farm owner Doug Nelson, who keeps about 500 imported elk on his 600-acre property for agricultural and hunting purposes, said Friday that he believes the department plans to kill the moose and white-tailed deer living there within the coming weeks. Pete, he said, will be among the animals killed under that scenario.
"They tell me there's no negotiating, put up or shut up," Nelson said, after a meeting with Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Wayne Laroche. "They're going to come up and exterminate them all."
The department's general counsel, David Englander, declined to be specific about any talks under way.
"The department has been and will continue to be diligent with Mr. Nelson to find common ground," Englander said. "It's really not about Pete. It's a much larger issue. How do we deal with the white tail deer and moose in the enclosure?"
The issue came to a head last week after The Times Argus ran photographs of Pete and a brief story on his plight.
Pete has been raised by 73-year-old David Lawrence of Albany, who nursed the then-newborn moose back to health after the animal was badly injured by dogs.
Pete developed an affection for the retired dairy farmer, and now follows Lawrence around when he visits the moose daily with fresh leaves, bananas and an occasional jelly doughnut. Lawrence also checks on the other animals on the farm, with Pete following closely.
Some people, objecting to any plan to kill the tame moose, have written letters to the Time Argus and called the department to call for another solution.
But the problem is fairly straightforward. Nelson's farm is one of two in Vermont granted a "grace" period to allow the hunting of imported elk on the property, but the farm must come into compliance with state regulations by early next year to continue to offer the hunt.
One of the provisions of that permit is that white tailed deer and moose not live among the imported elk to prevent the spread of diseases like chronic wasting disease and tuberculosis from the elk to the non-imported animals. Wildlife officials are trying to keep chronic wasting disease, which is present in other states, out of Vermont.
Nelson admits that the white-tailed deer and moose feed with the imported elk. He said those native wild animals were already on the property when he fenced it in years ago, and he has watched moose jump the fence into the compound since.
"I built the fence to state specs. And I've watched moose jump in there," Nelson said. "You wouldn't ever think so, but I have seen moose jump in there on more than one occasion."
Asked what the options are for Nelson to come into compliance – if killing the animals was the only solution – Englander said, "I don't want to have that conversation right now. It's not something the department has focused on. We are trying to get everybody to the table. We want to find a solution."
Englander said there are limited, specific cases where people have been allowed to keep tame, wild animals.
"There are instances where private citizens can possess wild animals for limited periods of time," he said, noting as examples wildlife rehabilitators who care for injured animals. "There may be other solutions that aren't readily apparent. I wouldn't want to foreclose any other options today," he said.
"The department is going to do what it can" to resolve the dispute, Englander said. "It has been a complex relationship with Mr. Nelson. The dialogue has not always been fruitful."
Nelson would agree.
"I've been operating this place for nine years. We never had a problem, except with Fish and Game," he said. "We own 8,000 acres of land and pay a lot of taxes, and we just think that land is close and dear to our hearts, and we try to make it better. You've got to have some property rights in order to keep it."
Caught in the middle are Lawrence and Pete, with Lawrence fearful that Pete will be exterminated in the coming weeks. Lawrence said he wants Pete taken to a secure location, out of state or possibly in a zoo, to be protected.
"This is just a terrible tragedy and it's going to ruin my whole g*# d@*!med life," he said.
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