Samson; Estes Park, CO, USA

Samson's memorial in Estes Park stands as a reminder of the massive elk and as a warning to poachers. Author's Collection

My most recent outing brought me to Estes Park, Colorado (I’ll be running out of memorials in my home state soon though). Estes is a small mountain community on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. The community may be most famous as the home of the Stanley Hotel (from the movie version of Stephen King's The Shining). Because of its proximity to the National Park it’s pretty common to see deer and their larger cousins, elk wandering through town.

The best known of these elk was Samson. He attained celebrity status thanks to his size and demeanor. The 1000+ lb. gentle giant roamed the streets and wild areas of town amusing visitors and locals alike. His antlers sported seven points on one side and nine on the other, making him easily recognizable And because he lived on a campground property he met a lot of visitors.

Samson is so famous he even has a beer
named after him. Photo: Estes Park Brewery

Elk hunting is legal in October in this part of Colorado, but not in town, nor in the National Park. Despite his size and impressive seven-by-nine-point rack Samson lived long enough to be a recognizable presence. He was smart or lucky enough to spend most of his time on the YMCA campground complex where hunting is not permitted. There Samson amazed visitors to the area who had never seen elk before. He befriended many of the Y employees and a trust developed between him and many of the town's residents. He became something of a town mascot. Samson merchandise was available in many of the tourist shops along Elkhorn Ave., Estes’ main drag.
Elk (also known as wapiti) are an important part of this Colorado town. They bring over a thousand visitors annually who bolster the local economy. They can cause some inconveniences too. Animals this large leave a mark on the land with their droppings and hoof-prints; they damage trees and property with their antlers, and during rutting season their bugling calls fill the air day and night. Despite the difficulties involved with living close to large numbers of elk the people of Estes Park feel a sense of ownership and kinship with the massive animals.

In November 1995 Samson’s luck ran out. He was killed by a crossbow bolt fired by hunter Randal Francis from Lakewood, Colorado. Francis was hunting trophy quality animals to sell their taxidermied heads. Samson was illegally shot out of season and on the grounds of the Y. Local hunters and animal lovers (in this part of the country many people are both) were outraged by the blatantly illegal slaying of the town’s unofficial mascot. That the hunter was a visitor from the Denver Metro area added insult to injury.

Samson’s death was widely reported. As word of the elk’s fate spread, much of the state came to know Francis’ name. The town received letters of condolence from people around the world who had visited and seen or heard about Samson. Some residents testified about what the elk meant to them in the poacher’s trial. Francis was fined $6,000, sentenced to 90 days in jail, and his hunting and driving licences were suspended. In a move that sent a clear message, the judge also had the crossbow and gun Francis was carrying during the crime destroyed and he barred Francis from owning or using weapons with the exception of kitchen knives. The trophy, Samson’s head and antlers were given to the YMCA.

Samson's head rests in the YMCA lodge. Author's Collection

The plaque near Samson's head in the YMCA.
Author's Collection

In death Samson surveys the town he ruled in life.
Author's Collection

Money from Samson’s fans, local and international was placed into a fund to create a memorial to him. On September 17, 1997 a statue of Samson was unveiled at the intersection of Highway 36 and Highway 7. Most visitors to Estes arrive via one of these roads. Colorado artist Carol Cunningham was commissioned for the work. Samson’s form, with carefully crafted seven-by-nine rack stands at %125 of life size in a landscaped traffic triangle near the towns American Legion Post. Samson’s statue is placed so that he appears to be cautiously exiting a copse of trees and surveying the open area and roadway ahead of him. The statue is quite lifelike. In fact, the first time I saw it I thought it was a large elk. And it’s not only humans that have been fooled by it. There have been occasional incidents, caught in photographs, of local elk approaching the statue to challenge it or just visit.

A male elk challenges the statue. Photo: CBS 4 Denver

A female investigates. Photo Estes Park News

After his death Samson quickly became a symbol of the importance of obeying hunting laws. The statue was only the beginning. As an anti-poaching symbol his fame only increased. I’ve written before about how animals are drafted into service as the symbols that humans need. Samson came to symbolize an idyllic view of living with nature. Despite the tension that living near elk and other wild animals often creates, Samson and Estes became a model for mutual respect. He didn’t cause problems in town and people didn’t bother him. Considering the importance of elk hunting tourism to the local economy this symbolism is perhaps over-simplified.

In 1998 Colorado passed a tougher new anti-poaching law that placed special penalties on hunters who illegally kill trophy-sized animals. Depending on the size of the animal an additional $4,000 to $25,000 mandatory fine is added to damages when someone is convicted of poaching. The money is earmarked for local law enforcement. This law, which came to be known as “Samson’s Law” is still on the books and has been used against illegal hunters in the years since. So you could say the statue and the state statute stand in his memory. (But don't actually say it out loud; it's really hard.)