Information is being sought into the shooting of a bull elk on the Goat Main industrial road south of Powell River.
On Thursday, December 19, conservation officer Andrew Anaka said the conservation office received a report of a dead elk. Subsequent attendance and investigation by the conservation officer’s service revealed that the young bull elk, about 18 months old, had been shot multiple times on or about December 14. That was based on the amount of decomposition that was witnessed on the downed animal.
“No effort was made to remove any of the meat from the elk, which died just a few metres off of the main road,” said Anaka. “That was making it impossible that it could not be found and recovered. Whoever shot it knew that it was there.”
Anaka said the weekend of December 14 and 15 was the last weekend for the black-tailed deer season on the mainland. He said it is very likely someone was out in that area and may have noticed something unusual.
“The public is asked to forward any information about this or any other poaching activity on our report a poacher and polluter line at 1.877.952.7277,” said Anaka. “The BC Wildlife Federation offers up to a $2,000 cash reward for information leading to the conviction of persons who have violated laws protecting fish, wildlife or environmental resources.”
He said the conservation officer service does not subscribe to call display and persons providing information can remain anonymous and still be eligible for the reward.
“Based on the evidence collected so far, we know that there was more than one person involved,” said Anaka. “It would have been the easiest elk for anybody to recover. It would have been a matter of backing a truck into the ditch and sliding it into the back. It would have taken minutes.”
For hunting wildlife in a closed season, the fine for those convicted can be up to $10,000. Anaka said the poacher stole this animal from every law-abiding resident in this area.
The loss of the elk is a significant event, said Anaka. Although there is a good population of elk in the area, there are not so many that they can be wasted in this manner, he added.
Anaka said there are now elk in every watershed in the Powell River area and there are limited entry seasons available for a very limited harvest, both by hunters and first nations.
Anaka said there are elk now in every watershed from the Canada-USA border up to Phillips Arm. He said it is all natural habitat for elk. They were extirpated at one point in time, he added, but they have been reintroduced and have been very successful.
