Five Elk Left to Waste in SE Idaho

By Jennifer Jackson Regional Conservation Educator Having trouble finding elk this fall? Some people aren't. In fact, some individuals have found and shot more than their share. Within the last two weeks the Idaho Department of Fish and Game has investigated the deaths of five elk which were shot and left to waste in southeast Idaho. The carcass of a bull elk was discovered by hunters on North Trail Canyon Road near Soda Springs. Two cow elk carcasses were also found in the vicinity of the same road. The bull and cows apparently were shot in separate incidences given the distance between them. Additionally, near Soda Springs, two cow elk were shot and left on Slug Creek Road near South Trail Canyon Road. Investigations determined all the elk had multiple gunshot wounds. Gut piles were found at each scene, indicating that other animals had been harvested and removed from the area. All five elk were completely wasted with no apparent attempts to retrieve the game. "We suspect that these waste cases resulted from people just Ôflock shooting' like some hunters do with birds," says Brandon Chamberlin, Fish and Game conservation officer stationed in Soda Springs. "In these cases, shots were likely fired into a herd of running elk to see what fell. When the shooter or shooters approached carcasses or wounded animals, they just picked the ones that fit the tags they had-bull or cow-and left the others to waste or to wander off wounded." One of the cows killed near North Trail Canyon Road had been originally shot in the backbone and later in the head at close range. "Someone had wounded her, trailed her, and then finally dispatched her, but didn't think enough of the animal to tag and dress her," says Chamberlin. Southeast Idaho isn't alone in experiencing senseless elk waste cases. Earlier this month, two cow elk and a bull elk were also shot and left to waste in the Salmon region. If anyone has information on any of these elk waste cases or other game violations, please contact the Fish and Game Regional Office in Pocatello at 232-4703 or Soda Springs Conservation Officer, Brandon Chamberlin, at 339-3520. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact the Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) hotline at 1-800-632-5999. People with information concerning violations may be eligible for a reward through the CAP program.