Idaho Fish and Game looking for information on illegally killed elk
An illegally killed elk was found in north-central Idaho earlier this month, and state officials are looking for help in identifying the people responsible.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game said in a news release this week that the bull elk was killed and left to waste near Cottonwood, a small town about 60 miles southeast of Lewiston.
A law enforcement officer received a report of a wasting bull elk carcass on Sept. 8. The elk’s head was gone, as were most of its quarters. The backstraps and tenderloins were left to waste.
Idaho Fish and Game believes the elk was killed on Sept. 6 or 7. Items left behind at the kill site will help identify the people responsible, according to the release.
The agency is urging people who have information about the killing of the elk to call 208-792-7807, the Lewiston Fish and Game office at 208-799-5010 or the Citizens Against Poaching Hotline at 1-866-632-5999.
Tipsters can stay anonymous and may be eligible for a monetary reward.
Montana hunter shoots, injures grizzly bear
A bird hunter in northern Montana shot and injured a grizzly bear this week, prompting state officials to search for the bear.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said in a news release that the hunter was chasing upland birds near Fairfield on Tuesday when he was charged by an adult male grizzly.
The hunter shot twice with his shotgun and hit the bear at least once. The bear ran off. The hunter was not injured.
FWP staff searched the area on foot and with drones after the encounter, covering 4 square miles. They didn’t find the bear, and they continued the search on Wednesday.
The agency advised hunters and nearby residents to be careful, as the bear was likely still around and seeking cover.
The incident was at least the second hunter-grizzly encounter in Montana in less than a week.
On Sept. 8, a man helping hunters track a deer was attacked by a grizzly near Big Sky, Montana, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported. The man suffered serious injuries and was flown to a hospital.
Yellowstone sees visitation bump in August
Yellowstone National Park saw a significant bump in its visitation numbers last month, but it’s still lagging behind the totals of its record-shattering 2021.
Yellowstone officials announced in a news release that the park recorded 846,389 visits last month. That’s a 45% increase from August 2022, and a 3% increase from August 2019.
It’s about 8% below the total from August 2021, when the park logged more than 920,000 visits in a single month.
That brings the park’s visitation total to more than 3.3 million this year.