Poacher Dismembers Female Elk; Rangers Seek Public’s Help Finding the Culprit

elk Redwood national park photoPress release from the Redwood National Park:

The legs, internal organs and head of a female Roosevelt elk were found lying in foliage off Bald Hills Road in Redwood National and State Parks on Wednesday, February 1st. A blood trail and drag marks were found leading from the elk remains to Bald Hills Road. The poachers took a majority of the carcass and left the rest of the body to rot off the road. It is illegal to hunt elk in National or State Park lands at any time.

Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) law enforcement park rangers are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the poachers. Anyone with information about the crime is encouraged to call RNSP’s 24-hour crime tip line at 707-465-7353. Callers can remain anonymous.

Roosevelt elk (Cervus elaphus roosevelti) are the largest subspecies of North American elk. In the entire deer family, only the moose is larger. Californians are fortunate today to be able to view herds of these magnificent animals; we came very close to losing them.

Roosevelt elk were once much more numerous and their range more widespread. Prior to settlement by Euro-Americans, Roosevelt elk ranged from southern British Columbia south to Mendocino County and parts of Sonoma County. Beginning with the California gold rush in 1848, market hunting for elk meat and hide significantly reduced elk populations and distribution. Subsequent Euro-American settlement converted thousands of acres of elk habitat into cattle and sheep pasture and cropland. Nearly extirpated, very few elk remained in California by 1925 when one of the last herds made its stand in coastal lowlands in and around Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park where dense forests provided protective cover. Since then, preservation of habitat in parks and surrounding areas has allowed the population to rebound. By the late 1970s the Roosevelt elk population in the northern California range was estimated at 1,000 to 3,000 animals, with roughly half of those within Redwood National and State Parks.

The future of Roosevelt elk depends on continued scientific study, protection of habitat, adherence to hunting regulations to ensure a balance between conservation and recreational opportunities, and public vigilance in reporting wildlife crimes.

For more information on the wildlife and other natural and cultural wonders of Redwood National and State Parks, see the RNSP website at:  www.nps.gov/redw

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Capitalist pig
Guest
Capitalist pig
7 years ago

Elk. Yummy wish I was eating at the poachers house tonight

Terry L. Clark
Guest
7 years ago

Giving a little money to the government for “permission”, or slaughtering a different sentient being, does not make “hunting” any less barbaric or immoral. As Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “Everything Hitler did in Germany was ‘legal'”.

dayOff
Guest
dayOff
7 years ago
Reply to  Terry L. Clark

Why are you throwing the stick so far across the pond and why did colored mlk jr not refer to the slaughter of a 100 million natives right here on the soil he was preaching from. Its always easier to point the finger at someone else, they shut him down real quick, big brother was not having it, and neither is trump. Its trump time!🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺🎺

visitor
Guest
visitor
7 years ago
Reply to  dayOff

http://www.peoplesworld.org/article/dr-king-spoke-out-against-the-genocide-of-native-americans/

“…it is probably little known what the great freedom fighter (Martin Luther King Jr.) had to say about the horrific mistreatment of Native Americans by the U.S. In his 1963 book, “Why We Can’t Wait,” writing about the origins of racism in this country, King strongly condemned the historic injustices inflicted on Native people. He wrote the following:

“Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. Even before there were large numbers of Negroes on our shores, the scar of racial hatred had already disfigured colonial society. From the sixteenth century forward, blood flowed in battles of racial supremacy. We are perhaps the only nation which tried as a matter of national policy to wipe out its Indigenous population. Moreover, we elevated that tragic experience into a noble crusade. Indeed, even today we have not permitted ourselves to reject or feel remorse for this shameful episode. Our literature, our films, our drama, our folklore all exalt it.” “

Buzz
Guest
Buzz
7 years ago
Reply to  Terry L. Clark

Good point Terry. Did you know that proceeds from game licenses and related equipment sales fund wildlife management and monitoring though? If wildlife preservation and animal rights is important to you, buying a hunting license this year and not using it would be a great move – you’ll simultaneously be funding conservation AND making one less license available to someone seeking to kill wildlife.

Carol
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  Buzz

Very good point. How much is a license and where can one purchase it?

Black Rifles Matter
Guest
Black Rifles Matter
7 years ago
Reply to  Carol

$40 try the Plaza in Arcata. The Jamaican with dreads should be able to help you deer and elk huggers out.

Happyfish
Guest
Happyfish
7 years ago

Usually when people become Deere or elk huggers, it’s because something tragic has happened in their life and they would rather not kill a majestic animal for fun or meat. For 1 they don’t need to kill it, 2 they aren’t psychopath piles of shit 3 they would rather be doing something productive than destructive. [edit] You act like this is your land. Well it’s not! Go back to Europe with your pillaging ancestors.

Buzz
Guest
Buzz
7 years ago
Reply to  Carol

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Licensing or just visit one of our area’s outdoor stores.

You’ll need to take and pass a Hunter Safety course if you haven’t had a hunting license before, but it’s worth the time even if you have no intention of hunting or fishing!

Carol
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  Buzz

Thank you for the information. I have had an interest in a fishing license but both licenses would be neat and could help wildlife.

Eldon
Guest
Eldon
7 years ago

For Capitalist pig, your moniker fits you to a ‘t’. You are more than a pig, you are a complete idiot. As far as I’m concerned, these type of “so-called” hunters are concerned, they should be drawn and quartered themselves. They are a disgrace to a legitimate hunter.

Guest
Guest
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  Eldon

Right if I can’t hunt one then f-them, dicks

Capitalist pig
Guest
Capitalist pig
7 years ago

Eldon obviously you’ve never tasted elk

Black Rifles Matter
Guest
Black Rifles Matter
7 years ago
Reply to  Capitalist pig

Elk meat is awesome. Moose is even better though;)

Guest
Guest
Guest
7 years ago

Boy if they ever do catch them, whooo there Gona be sorry!, imagine the fines and jail time on that! Probably worse than murder in humboldt

Capitalist pig
Guest
Capitalist pig
7 years ago

Terry l Clark Giving a little money to the government for abortion or slaughtering a different unborn being does not make abortion any less barbaric or immoral as Martin Luther King Junior said everything Hitler did it in Germany was legal

maryellen
Guest
maryellen
7 years ago

wasn’t there a very similar story like this last year?

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
7 years ago
Reply to  maryellen

There probably was or maybe you’re thinking about the time the guy was killing redwoods in the park by cutting out and stealing the Burl’s, or was it the time someone stole all the old redwood planks out of the historic Lyons Ranch Schoolhouse, or maybe it was the time that someone gutted the ranger house by Johnson road, or could it be the time that someone dumped a huge pile of garbage in the Dolasen Prairie trailhead parking lot?

Shep
Guest
Shep
7 years ago
Reply to  maryellen

Yes.

TaxpayerSteveDobbs
Guest
TaxpayerSteveDobbs
7 years ago

The elk is dead, No shortage on elk.
besides aren’t they everyone’s elk? Who exactly pays for this park? Exactly, we all do. Lets not waste more tax money on countless hours trying to figure out who shot the elk, word is out now and maybe someone will come forward, and maybe not. Don’t these guys know where to draw the line on wasting resources,.. Who looks into that side of the story?
And how about a phone number for any park , not just this one,… Throw out some hotline numbers,..
And a number to report shady activity in eureka, I’m not talking 911,… A number to talk to someone thats not a robot,..
Lets get those numbers please

Scooter
Guest
Scooter
7 years ago

You could get those numbers yourself and post them here for all of us. That would be a big help.

Capitalist pig
Guest
Capitalist pig
7 years ago

Eldon what about this story angers you? Is it the fact that somebody harvested an elk for its meet without the governments permission? Or is it just simply because someone killed an innocent animal I’m just curious

spelling
Guest
spelling
7 years ago
Reply to  Capitalist pig

Meat. Not meet. We put in, and pay for elk tags every year and have never been drawn for a legal hunt. And have never thought it would be OK to poach.

LERG
Guest
LERG
7 years ago

Ok…that this was an illegal take aside, the headline reads “poacher dismembers female elk”-seriously? I literally laughed out loud! Dismembered? Like they kicked her out of the Elks Club or what? Lol Again-aside from poaching being illegal here, big game must be broken down into manageable parts. Can you imagine putting an entire elk minus guts & head into the freezer or frying pan?!
Poaching is a crime and hopefully justice will find those responsible for this one, but trying to make it sound like a serial killer got ahold of that cow was about too much – but thanks for the chuckle. Still laughing!

Darrell
Guest
Darrell
7 years ago
Reply to  LERG

That’s what I thought. Dismembered?
It sounded like a torture session.
They simply hunted illegally and the meat was taken.
But I do hope the bastards get caught, eventually. Hunt the right way, or raise your own meat. It’s simple.

Black Rifles Matter
Guest
Black Rifles Matter
7 years ago
Reply to  Darrell

Agreed. It obviously was taken for meat and not sport. Not condoning poaching but someone could just be trying to put food on the table. On a side note, why on earth hasn’t commiefornia allowed some doe hunts up here. The doe population is getting out of control. I know it gets the animal huggers uptight, but it’s a fact that doe hunts are needed to sustain a healthy deer herd. Most every other state has some sort of doe hunts. Plus, does do just taste better.

Capitalist pig
Guest
Capitalist pig
7 years ago

Clear-cut the park dig up all the stumps Burn them . plant elk food and i’m sure the elk will thrive just tossing out ideas here how about instead of all these negative comments you people start coming up with some good ideas like mine to save this threatened species because by God they are D licious !!!

Happyfish
Guest
Happyfish
7 years ago
Reply to  Capitalist pig

Pig, what the hell is wrong with you? If you were real hunter you would understand why it is so illegal to kill an elk. Clear cutting the park and burning stumps would take years and the same time for it to regrow after being tore up so bad. You do realize other animals live in and under the trees right? So that’s not a good idea. A better idea would be to check more psychopaths like you because they kill these elk that are in a protected. Also Martin Luther King Jr said, never forget everything that happened in Nazi Germany was legal. Not praising it, but saying it was horrible that it was even legal in the first place ya dipwad. Did you take it literal?

Lynn H
Guest
Lynn H
7 years ago
Reply to  Happyfish

Actually he’s half right. Because of modern fire suppression the elk have much less habitat. They are grazers.

Guest
Guest
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  Capitalist pig

They are thriving and only some are that delicious I have had some that would gag a maggot, and some that are amazing

Lynn H
Guest
Lynn H
7 years ago
Reply to  Guest

They probably hung it before butchering. Makes meat really rank and nasty. Some people like it that way. I personally think it’s disgusting too.

had enought
Guest
had enought
7 years ago
Reply to  Capitalist pig

C Pig, positive info to help on this blog. lol .not with this group. they live to sling mud. plus they have a way to tell the future. just ask them.

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
7 years ago

Game cameras are cheap.

Capitalist pig
Guest
Capitalist pig
7 years ago

Hey happy fish I got one word for you sarcasm .did you take it literally??

Guest
Guest
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  Capitalist pig

Hmmm So how’s that elk you got taste?

Amimissingsomething
Guest
Amimissingsomething
7 years ago

All you people out there in la la land remember one important thing. Hunters and the conservation groups and local hated timber companies they work for and belong to have been the driving force for the reintroduction of the Roosevelt Elk. RMEF along with all the local tribes and many other local and nationwide hunting clubs and members have been the people who have got off their collective butts and put in hard work getting the Elk population back up in California and many other Western states where numbers were getting worse every year. Since the early 90’s and especially 1993 when DFG and Simpson began a program of reintroduction and limited hunting….. the numbers just get higher and higher.

Capitalist pig
Guest
Capitalist pig
7 years ago

I applaud all their Elk restoration efforts as it is awesome to see elk all over Northwestern California I heard there were even an elk spotted out around Zenia area does anyone else know if this is true I was coming through The zenia Bluffs a few years back and had to stop for road construction an the county man holding the stop sign told me that they had just seen an elk always wondered if that was actually true ????

Black Rifles Matter
Guest
Black Rifles Matter
7 years ago
Reply to  Capitalist pig

Not sure about Zenia, but they are becoming more And more abundant up here in northern Trinity and the Klamath river area. I have a friend who has been lucky enough to draw two tags over a ten year period. He got one each time too. Elk is in my opinion the best meat around in our area followed by venison.

Lynn H
Guest
Lynn H
7 years ago
Reply to  Capitalist pig

Don’t know about Zenia, but I saw a bull and 2 cows cross the road on the north end of Willits a couple/few years ago. Haven’t seen them since & have looked for them. Ranchers probably ate them.

Crime stopper
Guest
Crime stopper
7 years ago

aliens did it! Got tired of eating humanos

serial killer/hunter?
Guest
serial killer/hunter?
7 years ago

We had three elk decapatated in covelo a year or two back. Personally I think there is a serial killer operating in Mendo up to southern humbolt. Not sure if this killing is related but quite a few dismembered humans and animals reported in last 10 to 15 years.. maybe he couldn’t find a human this time..

Black Rifles Matter
Guest
Black Rifles Matter
7 years ago

Dismembered game animals generally mean the animal was harvested for meat. When decapitated, that generally means the animal wasn’t killed for sport. Most trophy hunters always take the head and rack as their trophy. Not condoning poaching at all, just pointing out the fact that sustainable, legal, meat hunters frequently just quarter up the good meat and leave the rest for the critters of the woods to eat. Especially with animals as large as elk.

had enought
Guest
had enought
7 years ago

black rifles matter lol. great name

jp
Guest
jp
7 years ago

We have Elk in Seiad Valley, CA (18 mi. east of Happy Camp on the Klamath River). I’ve seen them in Horse Creek, CA too.

They are beautiful creatures. Just like the Bears, Cougars, Bob Cats, Fox, etc. etc. etc.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
7 years ago
Reply to  jp

After twenty years of living somewhere between Happy Camp and Orick I finally saw one elk near my place and you better believe I did not tell anyone about it.

Dan Fuller
Guest
Dan Fuller
7 years ago

I saw a cow elk some years back alongside the road on Hiway 36 at “Root Creek” usually called Grizzly Creek in the road reports, when it floods across the road!!!

Common sense
Guest
Common sense
7 years ago

Umm it sounds like they needed food? There’s nothing wrong with putting meat in the freezer. Not everyone can afford food.