Reward offered after 2 elk shot

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – Two mature bull elk were shot and left to waste sometime last month in the Goose Creek drainage south of Oakley, authorities said.

The animals were found on a steep slope about two miles north of the Utah border.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is offering rewards for information.

“We’re hoping that somebody can give us some information that can jump-start our investigation,” said Regional Conservation Officer Gary Hompland.

Poaching occurs throughout the region, particularly as fall hunting season approaches, Hompland said. But elk poaching has been a chronic problem in the Goose Creek drainage, he said.

The animals were part of a herd that spends time in northern Nevada, Utah and Idaho.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officer John Pratt said his office has received some information about the poaching, “but nothing to be able to put a conviction together with,” he said.

If convicted, a poacher faces criminal penalties from $300 to $1,000 and up to six months in jail for each elk illegally taken.

The crime also carries civil penalties ranging from $750 to $5,000 for each elk.

A local sporting goods retailer has also offered a $500 gift certificate as an additional incentive for information about the crime.

Anyone with information about the poaching can contact the Idaho Department of Fish and Game in Jerome at 324-4359, or the Citizens Against Poaching hotline at 1-800-632-5999.

Callers using the Citizens Against Poaching hot line will remain anonymous.