Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (Oct 12/01) - Three sets of discarded moose ribs with meat still on the bones have raised the ire of a Liidli Kue First Nation councillor.

Andy Norwegian is appalled by somebody leaving three sets of moose ribs at the Fort Simpson dump over the weekend. It's an offence to do such a thing, according to the Wildlife Act. - Derek Neary/NNSL photo

Andy Norwegian said an elder mentioned to him that there was moose meat wasting away at the landfill site.

On Sunday afternoon, Norwegian took a trip out to the dump and saw the spoiled carnage for himself.

"It really bothers me because there's people in town that could have used that," he said. "A lot of people's favourite part of the moose is moose ribs."

He noted that rope was attached to a few sides of ribs, indicating that someone likely left them hanging too long and they went bad.

Paul Kraft, regional superintendent for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, said the spoiled meat is indeed a violation of the Wildlife Act. The act specifies that big game meat fit for human consumption -- other than bear, coyote, wolf, wolverine or an upland game bird -- cannot be wasted, destroyed, abandoned or allowed to spoil. The penalty is a fine not exceeding $1,000 and/or jail up to one year.

Kraft said the incident was not brought to his attention as of Tuesday morning, but he would have someone look into it. Success in catching the culprit(s) often depends on witnesses, he said.

A hunter himself, Norwegian said he feels there's no part of a moose carcass that is useless except the stomach contents. Ribs, he said, are usually cooked over an open fire, or split and cooked in a roaster.

"I find it really ironic that this would happen on Thanksgiving weekend," he said. "That's a shame, a real shame."