VAN BUREN, Mo. — Missouri’s Operation Game Thief is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the poaching of an elk in Van Buren, Missouri, in November.
On Nov. 18, a female adult elk found was found shot and left for dead Monday morning on National Park Service property near the end of M Highway in Carter County. No meat or other parts of the animal were taken. By the time the dead cow elk was found by conservation agents, the meat was no longer salvageable for donation.
On Monday, Missouri’s Operation Game Thief — which is an effort between the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Conservation Federation of Missouri to work with the public to help catch poachers — offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
“The OGT reward monies have been donated by the public and reflect how much Missourians care about conservation, our native wildlife, and the laws that protect them,” MDC Protection Division Chief Randy Doman said. “We appreciate this strong support to help bring in information that could lead to convictions.”
Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to call Operation Game Thief at 1-800-392-1111.
