BANKS, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is investigating the fifth illegal moose shooting since the month began after a pair of moose were found dead near Banks.
The cow and calf moose had been shot and left to rot near Dry Buck Road, about three miles west of Banks.
Fish and Game received a tip about a poached cow moose through the Citizens Against Poaching hotline on Oct. 18. After conservation officers arrived in the area and began to investigate, an officer's dog found a bull calf lying dead a few yards away from the female moose.
Investigators believe the pair was shot sometime between Oct. 14 and Oct. 18.
Fish and Game say the poaching incident marks the fourth and fifth moose illegally killed in the Southwest Region this month. Three bull moose were killed and another was shot at but not hit earlier this month in Valley County.
In several of those cases, the hunters responsible said they mistook the moose for elk.
Anyone with information on the Banks poaching incident is urged to call the CAP hotline at 1-800-632-5999, IDFG Officer Josh Leal at 208-989-9321, or file a report online here.
Killing a moose during a closed season can result in a felony charge and thousands of dollars in fines. Citizens Against Poaching is offering a reward for information in the case.
