Crazy Laws in Alaska and Fun Facts

Did you read about the crazy law in Alabama stating that it is illegal to marry any animal that is not already a relation? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Wait ‘til you read these eleven crazy laws I discovered that are still on the books in Alaska.

• A law in Fairbanks prohibits moose from mating on city streets.
That’s only fair. They should indulge in love-making at home or in the woods … like the rest of us.

• Also in Fairbanks, it is considered an offense to feed alcoholic beverages to a moose.
Let them buy their own alcohol in liquor stores or bars … like the rest of us.

• It is considered an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane.

I have to admit that the rationale for this crazy law was difficult for me to understand:
a) How would you get a live moose aboard an airplane?
b) Why would you even want to?
c) How would you push it out – especially if it did not want to leave?

Note: An adult male moose may weigh up to 1,600 pounds. Just sayin’.

• It is illegal to whisper in someone's ear while they are moose hunting.

This law is so crazy I have no explanation.

• It is legal to shoot bears, but waking a sleeping bear for the purpose of taking a photograph is prohibited.

And also extremely stupid! Although your photo could be a winner, You might end up as that bear’s dinner.

• In Nome, it is illegal to own a slingshot.

They don’t want to raise any incipient ‘Goliath-slayers’ there.

• However, in Juneau, a person may carry a concealed slingshot if that person has received the appropriate license.

If with your slingshot you want to roam, Just be sure that you stay out of Nome.

• It is illegal to fatten up a sheep, cow, or pig within city limits.

Raise sheep, cows and pigs in the city,

Just like owning dogs and cats.

Obey the law and watch their diets

Do not feed them sweets and fats.

• In Anchorage, it is illegal to throw a grenade on the street.

Picky, picky!

• In Nome, one may not roam the city with a bow and arrows.

It must be difficult for Cupid there; he can’t even use a slingshot.

• It’s a crime to speak loudly enough to offend a sensitive person enough to make him/her leave.

I would make a comment but I can’t stop laughing.

• Alaska is LARGE – as big as England, France, Italy and Spain combined. It is the largest state in the U.S. and over twice the size of Texas. The state of Rhode Island could fit into Alaska 425 times.

• Want to be alone? Alaska is one of the most sparsely populated areas in the world, at 1.2 inhabitants per square mile.

• Alaska was first discovered in 1741 when Danish explorer Vitus Jonassen Bering sighted it on a voyage from Siberia. Russian whalers and fur traders on Kodiak Island established the first settlement in in 1784.

• In 1867, U.S. Secretary of State, William H. Seward, offered Russia $7,200,000 or 2 cents per acre for Alaska. Many Americans called the purchase, "Seward's Folly."

• Alaska carries the world record for the highest concentration of bears. It is home to over 100,000 Grizzly, Black, and Polar bears.

• Brown bears called girizzlies living in the interior of the state are smaller than their counterparts in the coastal regions that feed on large amounts of salmon.

• Black bears can be found in most of Alaska’s forests and are usually smaller than brown or polar bears. Some black bears hibernate as long as 8 months of the year.

• Polar bears are the undisputed kings of the Arctic environment roving the sea ice in search of dinner - a favorite treat are ringed seals. Males can grow as large as 1,700 pounds and 10 feet in length.

• What does the name "Alaska" mean? Alaska is the Russian version of the Aleutian word Alakshak, which means great lands or peninsula.

• At 20,320 feet above sea level, Mt. McKinley, located in Alaska's interior, is the highest point in North America. 17 of the 20 highest peaks in the United States are located in Alaska.

Chicken, Alaska (population 7 to 17 depending on the season) was settled by gold miners in the late 1800s. In 1902, a local post office was established which required a community name.

Due to the prevalence of ptarmigan in that area of southeast Fairbanks, ptarmigan was suggested as the official name for the new community. However, the miners could not agree on its spelling (the ‘p’ is silent) so the name, Chicken, was used to avoid embarrassment. True story!

• The state bird is the willow ptarmigan, a small Arctic grouse that lives among willows on open tundra.

Its feathers are brown in summer, changing to white in winter when it resembles a chicken.

• In 1898, gold was discovered in the Yukon. Later gold was discovered at Nome and Fairbanks. Jade is the official state gemstone. Gold is the official state mineral.

• In 1915, the record high temperature in Alaska was 100 degrees F at Fort Yukon; the record low temperature was -80 degrees F at Prospect Creek Camp in 1971.

• Dog mushing is the official state sport. Various races are held around the state, but the best known is the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome (about 1,150 miles).

• The Alaskan malamute is a large breed of sled dog noted for its strength and endurance.

• Alaska's most important revenue source is the oil and natural gas industry. The state accounts for 25% of the oil produced in the United States.

President Putin has nightmares, no doubt, when he thinks about losing 'Seward's Folly.'

• The fishing and seafood industry is the state's largest private industry employer. Most of America's salmon, crab, halibut, and herring come from Alaska.

Favorite Alaska one-liner: “You know you are living in Alaska when the four seasons are: Winter, Still Winter, Not Winter and Almost Winter.” – Unknown

© Copyright BJ Rakow, Ph.D. 2015. All rights reserved. Author, "Much of What You Know about Job Search Just Ain't So."