More instances of poaching have occurred during the past week in Southwest Wyoming, with three more elk reportedly poached near Little Mountain.
According to information from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Game Warden Gary Boyd is seeking information regarding the elk kills, which took place sometime around Oct. 10 in Elk Hunt Areas 30 and 31.
“One trophy-class, mature bull elk was shot and left on Sage Creek and two cow elk were shot and left near Firehole Canyon. All three elk were shot within six miles of each other,” Boyd said in a media release.
Todd Graham, the regional wildlife supervisor for the WGFD office in Green River said they’ve received vague information regarding the incidents, but nothing concrete.
The department continues to seek information regarding two other elk killed in the same area sometime between Oct. 4-6.
Those elk were killed in the Little Mountain region south of Rock Springs. The first elk, a cow, was wearing a GPS collar as part of the D.E.E.R. Project underway in the region. The initial belief is whomever shot the animal noticed the collar and left it to waste, thinking they had done something wrong in killing the elk. Shooting an animal with a tracking collar isn’t illegal, though leaving it to waste is a wildlife violation.
The second elk was a six-point bull elk killed and left on the west side of Little Mountain. Boyd said the bull was field dressed, but the head and antlers were left attached. He thinks the hunter tried to drag the elk out of the area, but gave up and left it to waste.
A game warden in Evanston also seeks information regarding animals left to waste in Uinta County. The first was a doe mule deer abandoned at the intersection of U.S. Highway 150 and Uinta County Road 173, near Sulphur Creek Reservoir. The deer was field dressed and appeared to have been hung since the deer season ended. However, no meat was removed from the doe.
The second instance involved a calf elk that was found skinned and partially field dressed. The back straps were removed, but the rest of the carcass was abandoned north the Bear River near the Utah State Line.
Two more elk were reported killed, with one left to waste in the Bridger Basin area in Elk Hunt Area 105.
“One elk was taken and the other elk was left to waste. This appears to be intentional waste of one of the two elk, as the suspect drove up to both elk, but only took one and left the second elk to waste,” Cokeville Game Warden Neil Hymas said in a media release from the WGFD Tuesday.
People with information on these cases can call the Stop Poaching Hotline at 1-877-943-3847. Tips may be reported online at wgfd.wyo.gov, directly to a game warden or by calling the Green River Game and Fish Office at-1-307-875-3223. Poaching information may also be texted.
People can text the WGFD a message to 847-411. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward if the information leads to a conviction.
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