Poached elk found in the Bison Range
Two young bull elk graze in a field near Middle Road on Wednesday, Dec. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) are investigating poaching on the Bison Range in Northwest Montana after recently finding a decapitated elk.
In a news release issued Monday, tribal officials said that the elk was found “disrespectfully dumped in the canal on the Bison Range with its head cut off.”
Authorities are trying to determine if the dead elk was “Harold,” a large bull elk often admired by visitors to the Bison Range. Efforts are underway to locate Harold in one of his typical locations, but there is no confirmation of his whereabouts at this time, officials said.
The Bison Range, a nature reserve that sits on over 18,000 acres of land in the Flathead Indian Reservation, is roughly 80 miles south of Kalispell, attracting thousands of visitors each year.
On average, around four bull elk die annually on the Bison Range, officials said, often from injuries sustained from rut, or breeding season, as well as other natural causes.
Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Tribal Game Warden Garrett Fenton at (406) 360-8193 or at garrett.fenton@ckst.org.