SHANNON COUNTY, Mo. — Someone in southern Missouri illegally killed and left a bull elk to rot, and authorities are offering a hefty reward to find the suspect.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) sent out a statewide call for the public's help on Wednesday, asking people for any information about the poached bull elk that was found near the Klepzig Mill Historical Landmark in Shannon County over the weekend.
Shannon County Conservation Agent Brad Hadley found the entire animal left in the field after being told its whereabouts by a local hunter, MDC said. The carcass was transported to the department's Central Regional Office and Conservation Research Center in Columbia for necropsy.
Missouri's Operation Game Thief is offering $20,000 to anyone with information leading to the conviction of the poacher or poachers responsible for shooting the elk. Callers who contact the operation's hotline at 800-392-1111 can remain anonymous, if they wish.
“Poaching is stealing valued wildlife resources from all Missourians, and must be stopped,” said Operation Game Theif Board Chair Jim Kent. “We are offering this reward with the intent of finding those responsible and holding them accountable.”
This is a developing story. This article will be updated with the latest information as it is made available.
The incident isn't the only case of poaching that's happened in southern Missouri recently. Earlier this year, a nine-month poaching investigation into the illegal killing of six deer in Osage County ended with the arrest of four juveniles.
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