Maine authorities are probing the illegal poaching of two moose in separate counties, with both animals left to rot post-mortem, Boston.com reported Tuesday.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, alongside Maine Operation Game Thief, a collaboration with the state agency, is seeking information on the killings in Washington and Aroostook Counties, according to Boston.com.
A $3,000 reward is being offered for details that result in the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators behind each incident. The first case surfaced when game wardens were alerted to a moose carcass in Baileyville, Washington County, near the Canadian border, on Nov. 10. Investigation concluded the moose was shot between 8 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. that day, approximately 70 yards from Grand Falls Road, per the outlet.
Killings of two moose, shot and left to rot, under investigation in Maine https://t.co/0mmmu2K5h4 pic.twitter.com/NZwm6FYCnu
— Boston.com (@BostonDotCom) November 14, 2023
The second instance occurred in Aroostook County, where a moose was discovered apparently illegally shot on a logging road off Route 11, based on a Nov. 9 report. Officials believe this moose was killed during the night of Nov. 8 or early Nov. 9, the outlet noted. (RELATED: Celebrity Bowhunters Sentenced In ‘Largest Poaching Case’ In Nebraska History)
Moose hunting in Maine is a closely regulated activity, requiring a permit with only 4,105 issued in the current year. Hunters are limited to harvesting one moose annually, with hunting seasons differing by area, spanning from mid-September to early November, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.