Postscript: Rustad regales reporters with animal tales

I’m back from the B.C. Legislature to wrap up the day, and there’s a postscript to add to this story.

By mid-afternoon, the flurry of activity from the morning’s news had quietened. That’s when Rustad, taking a break from cleaning out his office, wandered into the press gallery and began regaling reporters with stories of animals he’s encountered in northern B.C.

For about 20 minutes, he told stories about otters, wolves, eagles and other animals.

Once, he said, while snowshoeing through the bush, he realized he was downwind of a fully grown moose. He coughed, alerting the moose to his presence — and it began to charge, he said.

With only an axe to defend himself, Rustad said, he held his ground. Just before it reached him, the moose stopped, snorted and turned away.

“Politics is nothing compared to that,” he said.