Illegal Elk Kills

[Nuclearcricket]

Yes it was. I know it may sound funny or odd to some but we do have some pretty nice Elk here in PA. There are areas where they are wild and have little human contact, there are other areas, namely in and around Benezette, where they almost reach pest status. It is not unusual to see them in peoples yards or looking in kitchen windows. I had one resident tell me a story of his dog chasing an elk around near the house till the elk got tired of being chased and then it turned around and chased the dog for a while. And in case you may be wondering, there is NO hunting of elk in the areas where they are close to homes and human contact.
I don't know how many tags they put out each year but it is very limited and on a lottery basis. They are truly wonderful to see and for someone to destroy such an animal just to sell the antlers on Ebay is just horrible.
Now if an elk was shot,cleaned and cut up to feed several needy families I could understand that, to an extent as there are a lot of economically distressed families in this part of the state but to destroy something like this just for the horns is just a total waste. I have no sympathy for these men or for their families, they deserve all the punishment they get and hope they continue to pay for their acts for the rest of their lives.
Sam