3 bulls from back in 2009 #2 #17#21

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Law Enforcement Division is investigating the poaching of a Bull Elk in Haywood County North Carolina. The remains of bull elk #16, part of the initial experimental release inside The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, was recovered outside the park after biologists received data from the telemetry collar reporting the elk was down. The site was located in the 12 Mile Strip and Hicks Branch Road in Haywood County. Poachers removed meat, hoofs, and the antlers from the animal leaving the head, carcass, and the collar behind. This happened a few months ago but the news of this crime has just hit unknown whether the info was being held for investigative purposes or not.

How much evidence has been gathered and how close investigators are to breaking this case is unclear. Currently there is a $10,000 reward being offered for information leading to a conviction.

The recent killing of an elk near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Western North Carolina has prompted the North Carolina Wildlife Federation to pledge $5,000 towards a reward pool.

With the contribution, the award amount will be up to $10,000 being offered to a person who provides information about the elk killing that directly leads to an arrest, a criminal conviction, a civil penalty assessment, or forfeiture of property by the subject or subjects responsible.

Citizen Times

Bull # 16 was known to be one that lived primarily outside the confines of the national park and seen in the park mostly during the rut. There is no doubt he was one of the older bulls and probably had a prime rack. I’ve looked through my photos and I haven’t found any of #16 so it seems to support he spent most of his time outside. Of course starting last year bulls are no longer ear tagged and this year only a small sample of the cows will be tagged. The experimental herd is through that phase so much of the study and observation is being scaled way back. The herd itself seems to be doing well with estimates of about 130 animals.
I was in Cataloochee this weekend and saw about 70 elk and from talking to the staff their they expect another good calf season. The cows should start dropping calves in the next couple of weeks and they estimate an additional 25 or so will be added to the herd.

Poaching can significantly cut into survivability of this small herd so I urge anyone with any information to contact NCWRC. The return of elk to North Carolina is a great thing and great for the area tourist industry. When I first traveled into the Cataloochee Valley shortly after the release there was not many people making the drive into the remote valley this weekend there was heavy traffic in there showing that not only has the elk herd expanded but so has the sightseers.

Related Posts