The DNR wants to figure out who was behind the illegal killing of a bull elk in Jackson County.
The department got a report in March of the dead elk on private property north of the city of Black River Falls.
A necropsy determined the elk had been shot.
The bull, known as #244, had been one of the elk brought to the state from Kentucky in 2016, and was one of the primary breeding elk for the Central Elk Herd.
The elk’s GPS radio collar and nearby cellular trail cameras have provided investigators with detailed information.
“The illegal shooting of bull 244 is a tremendous loss for the central elk herd and citizens of 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,” said Christina Kizewski, central elk herd biologist. "Bull 244 was one of the largest and most photographed bulls in the state and has contributed to the successful growth of the newly established herd through his breeding efforts."
The DNR asks the public to share any information – no matter how small it may seem – with the DNR’s confidential Violation Hotline online or by calling 1-800-847-9367.
