Bull elk poached and left to rot near Meeteetse

Authorities are seeking information about a bull elk that was illegally killed and left to waste in Elk Hunt Area 66 near Meeteetse.

Although the area's bull season closed on Sept. 30, the elk appeared to have most likely been shot sometime Sunday evening, Meeteetse Game Warden Jim Olson said in a Tuesday news release from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Photo courtesy Wyoming Game and Fish

A concerned hunter found the abandoned elk, located on the Sleeper Ranch, and reported the incident to Game and Fish.

“The bull was hit once with a clean shot to the vital area and the entire carcass was left to waste in the hay meadows near the ranch manager’s house,” Olson said in the release.

The Game and Fish Department is asking anyone with information about the poaching — or anyone who noted suspicious vehicles or activity in the area — to call Meeteetse Game Warden Jim Olson at 307-868-2212, the Cody Game and Fish office at 307-527-7125 or the STOP POACHING hotline at 1-877-WGFD-TIP (1-877-943-3847).

Callers may remain anonymous and any information leading to the arrest and conviction could bring a reward of up to $5,000.

crime, poaching, Wyoming Game and Fish