Suspected elk poacher tracked down

KNOXVILLE — National Park Service officials say they tracked down a suspected poacher in North Carolina after an elk was shot and killed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The bull elk was killed on the morning of Nov. 13 in Cataloochee Valley, The Knoxville News Sentinel reports. The animal, known as Elk No. 21, was one of the biggest in the valley, park spokesman Bob Miller said.

Park officials say they used vehicle descriptions and a tag number provided by park visitors in tracking the suspect to his home in Granville County, N.C. Miller said the suspect’s name will be released when charges are filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

A charge of poaching within a national park carries penalties of up to six months in jail, $5,000 in fines and forfeiture of the weapon and vehicle used in the crime.

Elk No. 21 was the first to be poached in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park since 52 elk were released in 2001, the newspaper reported. There are now about 105 elk in the park.

“This is striking because we’ve had elk here since 2001, and this is the first poaching incident,” Miller said. “People thought this would happen when the elk were released. It hasn’t, though, because they’re so popular and visible. Somebody’s always watching.”

A volunteer group known as the Elk Bugle Corps has contributed to crowd control and educating visitors about elk, Miller said. The group started assisting park rangers in 2007, telling visitors how to safely view the elk and helping with parking and traffic.

“They’re out there every evening from May to the end of breeding season,” Miller said. “If they see people out in the field, they point out to them that they’re in danger. We want people to keep their distance from the elk.”

Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which helped support the elk reintroduction project, has started a memorial fund in remembrance of Elk No. 21.

Donations will help support the activities of the Elk Bugle Corps in Cataloochee in 2010.

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Information from: The Knoxville News Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.com