# Question about Alaskan law **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 11, 2026, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983 "2026-05-11T04:38:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/1 "2026-05-11T04:38:40Z")
Is it legal to push a live moose out of a moving airplane in Alaska? ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/2 "2026-05-11T05:15:32Z")
Do you plan to moose-bomb a runway or somewhere else? Is the moose realistically expected to be harmed or killed under the circumstances? Did you force the moose inside the aircraft, or did it force itself inside? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/3 "2026-05-11T05:49:11Z")
Highly illegal. Dangerous to humans. Animal cruelty. Dumping. Yeah. Don’t do that. Can you imagine what a big ass live moose on an Alaskan bush plane would do. I’m assuming you don’t mean a jet liner. You’d be sucked out with the moose. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/4 "2026-05-11T05:51:05Z")
According to Google AI: > [@](#): > > While widely cited as one of Alaska’s “weirdest laws,” there is **no specific statute** in the Alaska Administrative Code that explicitly forbids pushing a live moose out of a moving plane. > > The claim is largely considered an **urban myth**. However, attempting such an act would still be highly illegal under several broader laws: > > - **Animal Cruelty:** Such an action would violate general state and federal animal welfare laws, as it constitutes extreme cruelty and certain death for the animal. > - **Aviation Regulations:** Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety regulations prohibit pilots from dropping any object from an aircraft that creates a hazard to persons or property. > - **Wildlife Protection:** Alaska has strict laws against harassing, disturbing, or “herding” wildlife with an aircraft. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/5 "2026-05-11T07:09:55Z")
Whether it’s “certain death” for the moose depends on the speed and altitude of the plane. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/6 "2026-05-11T07:21:38Z")
Also, there are circumstances in which a moose would easily survive, regardless of the plane’s altitude. [![](https://greenwoodsoftware.com/misc/bullwinkle-parachute.jpg) ](https://greenwoodsoftware.com/misc/bullwinkle-parachute.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/7 "2026-05-11T11:46:41Z")
As God is my witness, I thought moose could fly. “Thave me Rocky!” ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/8 "2026-05-11T12:39:23Z")
we all are assuming the ‘moving plane’ is actually flying. This is not necessarily the case. It could be on the ground moving slowly…or it could be the generic name of a plane that is used for moving things. Like a “Moving Van”, that is used to move things. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/9 "2026-05-11T12:52:36Z")
“…Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmnLRVWgnXU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmnLRVWgnXU) ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/10 "2026-05-11T13:08:01Z")
I’ve always understood these “in xyz, it is illegal to do this or that funny thing” stories as either made up, or based on common law rather than statute. In other words, it might be that at some point, an Alaskan court, in a case before it where it mattered, ruled that someone violated a duty of care by pushing a moose out of a plane. Under state decisis, you could argue that this principle has thus become part of Alaskan common law, even though no legislature ever bothered adopting a statute about it. But perhaps I’m trying to rationalise here, and the story is made up altogether. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/11 "2026-05-11T13:10:15Z")
GFactor speaks: > **[Are those weird laws you hear about for real?](https://www.straightdope.com/21343891/are-those-weird-laws-you-hear-about-for-real)** > > A STAFF REPORT FROM THE STRAIGHT DOPE SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/12 "2026-05-11T14:47:01Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Can you imagine what a big ass live moose on an Alaskan bush plane would do. In order to push a live moose out of a moving airplane one first needs to get said live moose _into_ the airplane. That would limit it to some cargo (or maybe a jump plane). Most bush planes have neither a large enough opening, or enough lift capacity to carry the weight of an adult moose. I know what you’re thinking, but what is the minimum age for an unaccompanied moose calf? ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/13 "2026-05-11T15:17:40Z")
They’re just pre-empting an Alaskan version of this cinematic and military classic: > **[Operation Dumbo Drop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Dumbo_Drop)** > > Operation Dumbo Drop is a 1995 American war comedy film directed by Simon Wincer. The screenplay was written by Gene Quintano and Jim Kouf, based on a true story by United States Army Major Jim Morris. The film stars Danny Glover and Ray Liotta as Green Berets during the Vietnam War in 1968, who attempt to transport an elephant through jungle terrain to a local South Vietnamese village which in turn helps American forces monitor Viet Cong activity. Denis Leary, Doug E. Doug, and Corin Nemec a... ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/14 "2026-05-11T16:59:19Z")
[You can throw beavers out the plane in Idaho](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_drop). ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/15 "2026-05-11T17:10:59Z")
> and it also decreased beaver [mortality rates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortality_rates) more than alternative methods of relocation. I’ll admit, my Beaver Cannon idea did have some drawbacks. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/16 "2026-05-11T17:29:19Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > In order to push a live moose out of a moving airplane one first needs to get said live moose _into_ the airplane. That would limit it to some cargo (or maybe a jump plane). Most bush planes have neither a large enough opening, or enough lift capacity to carry the weight of an adult moose. Exactly what I was going to say. I’ve flown in bush planes, large and small from a tiny Piper to a large-ish King Air, to a Pilatus PC-12, and none of them would carry a moose any larger than a young calf. A cargo aircraft certainly would, but that goes back to the question of “why would you want to?” I was born and raised in Alaska and I never heard of any law governing moose being thrown out of airplanes. That wouldn’t preclude there being such a statute, but I would think I would have at least heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/17 "2026-05-11T18:23:07Z")
Yes. Agreed. @Spiderman, I know nothing about bush planes, or their size. I just figured they are the only planes you’d open a hatch, drop the moose(like skydiving) and not get sucked out behind. And they are ubiquitous in Alaska. My understanding, Moose are mean and BIG. Damage gonna happen. Way before the Moose gets deployed. (I keep seeing that Whale on a starship in the Star Trek Movie about saving the whales 😆 ) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/18 "2026-05-11T18:45:39Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > we all are assuming the ‘moving plane’ is actually flying. This is not necessarily the case. > > It could be on the ground moving slowly… Or it could be on a [T-word]. (Note how I carefully avoided using the word “treadmill”. I’m sure you’ll thank me.) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/19 "2026-05-11T18:50:31Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > My understanding, Moose are mean and BIG. Generally speaking, moose are usually in a bad mood. They’re either hungry, are pregnant, are protecting their young, or (for males) in rut. They’re also not afraid of anything but bears. This includes humans, cars, motorcycles, snow machines and buildings they don’t like the looks of. They wander freely throughout Alaskan towns and cities, noshing on the crabapple tree you planted last year or the prize ornamental shrubs you’ve been nursing along. If annoyed, they will stomp you into a puddle. Few winters go by without some poor SOB being killed by a moose that didn’t like the cut of his jib. ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983/20 "2026-05-11T19:17:56Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > killed by a moose that didn’t like the cut of his jib. How’d they get the moose on the boat? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-alaskan-law/1029983.md?page=2)