Estes Park, CO--Samson, the 1,000 pound-elk killed by a poacher
last month, is being memorialized with a beer of his own: Samson's
Stout. The Limited edition brew is being produced by Estes Park
Brewery. Profits from the sale of the beer will go to Operation
Game Thief, a program to apprehend and prosecute poachers, according
to Brewery owner Ed Grueff.
"This senseless killing has captured the minds of people
nationwide," said Grueff, "and I'm hoping we can do something
to help prevent such a thing from occurring again."
The Brewery intends to produce only 400 cases of 22-ounce bottles
of Samson's Stout in 1995 but will re-issue the brew every year
on the anniversary of Samson's death. According to Grueff, the
annual re-issue will serve as a constant reminder that we dare
not relax our vigil in protecting wildlife and the environment
from damage.
The label for Samson's Stout carries a photograph of the enormous
bull elk, complete with his 8-by-9 point rack. (The designation "8-by-9"
means that Samson's antlers bore eight points on side and nine
on the other, an exceptional trophy sized rack.) The Brewery
is also issuing T-shirts and sweatshirts bearing the label image.
Tributes to Samson continue. He has been memorialized with his
own site on the World Wide Web, located at http://estes.online.com/
at which users will find a complete "Web Tribute to Samson,"
including an informal electronic petition to stop the poaching.
Lee Lasson, Estes Park On-Line