The reward being offered for information leading to the conviction of the person(s) responsible for an elk poached on the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area in the Clairfield area of Claiborne Co., has doubled.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has matched the reward money offered by the Pine Mountain Long Beards chapter of the NWTF and the Campbell Outdoor Recreation Association, bringing the total reward money to $5,000.
In the morning hours of Thursday, Dec. 31, a local hunter reported finding an elk carcass on the Ed Carter Unit of the NCWMA, formerly known as the Tackett Creek Unit. TWRA Wildlife Officers Brenden Marlow and Joel Hyden responded to the scene and located the remains of an elk that appeared to have been shot within the previous few days.
The officers say that multiple parts of the elk had been removed from the scene including the head, leading them to believe it was likely an antlered bull. Biological evidence has been taken and the incident remains under investigation.
TWRA received a few tips following a previous news release offering reward money for information, yet no leads have developed. If anyone has information about the case, please contact Wildlife Officer Brenden Marlow at (615) 571-4792.