Bull elk illegally killed in west-central Wisconsin, DNR says; investigation underway
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is investigating after a bull elk was killed illegally in Jackson County.
The bull was found on private property in Black River Falls on March 18. DNR staff had been conducting elk capture efforts in the area, aiming to put radio collars on and relocate a small group.
Officials say the bull, known by the DNR as No. 244, died from a gunshot wound.
It was the last remaining elk brought from Kentucky in 2016 and served as one of the primary breeding bulls for the herd in central Wisconsin.
"The illegal harvest of a bull of this magnitude reduces opportunity to the hunting community and to recreationalists attempting to photograph or see elk within Jackson County," Christina Kizewski, Central Elk Herd biologist, said in a release on Monday.
Kizewski says the bull was one of Wisconsin's largest and most photographed.
Anyone with information about the bull's death is asked to call the state agency's violation hotline at 1-800-847-9367 or submit a tip here.
