Nevada game wardens seek assistance with moose poaching case
Submitted by editor on Tue, 01/09/2018 - 10:50am
Nevada Department of Wildlife game wardens are seeking information on an adult moose that was illegally killed 20 miles southeast of Jarbidge in Elko County.
The dead moose was discovered and reported by a concerned citizen on Christmas Day 100 yards west of the intersection of the Sun Creek access road and the O’Neil Basin Road, near the boundary of hunt units 072 and 075.
"The moose was killed sometime in middle to late December in a very visible area,” said NDOW Game Warden Fred Esparza. “It’s very possible someone might have seen something that could be helpful in catching the individuals responsible. Even if you just saw a vehicle parked in that area or a hunter on an ATV or UTV, we would like that information."
There is a $1,000 reward from Operation Game Thief (OGT) for information leading to a conviction of this crime. Witnesses may call OGT at (800) 992-3030 to report information on this or any other wildlife related crime.
This is the third illegally harvested moose in the last three years.
The first two shootings were mistakenly killed during cow elk hunts and self-reported. This incident is not believed to be a misidentification as the head was removed and a large portion of the meat was taken.
At this time, NDOW does not conduct formal surveys to estimate the population of moose. However, the number of observations and their growing frequency suggest 25-40 moose may permanently reside in the Silver State.
“It’s amazing to see the reaction of people when they see a moose for the first time,” said Esparza. “It’s really unfortunate that these poachers just took that special opportunity away from the rest of us.”
