Four headless bull elk found in Montana, officials say. Search is now on for poacher
Game wardens are on the hunt for the person responsible for poaching four bull elk and leaving their headless bodies to waste in southwest Montana.
The elk were killed close by to each other, and the poacher took only their heads and the valuable backstraps and left the rest — likely hundreds of pounds of meat — to waste, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks said in a news release.
An adult bull elk generally weighs about 700 pounds, according to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Hunters in Montana are legally required to harvest all four legs, tenderloins and backstraps of elk, according to state game wardens.
The elk bodies were found on a hunting area of the Ueland Ranch & ARCO Block Management Area near Anaconda, officials said. Game wardens believe they were killed sometime between Saturday, Nov. 18 and Sunday, Nov. 19.
Anaconda is about 100 miles northwest of Bozeman.
Poaching cases are often solved through public leads, officials said. Game wardens encourage anyone with information on this case to report it online or via the hotline at 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668). Callers could receive a cash reward up to $1,000.
This story was originally published November 29, 2023 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Four headless bull elk found in Montana, officials say. Search is now on for poacher."
