Slaughter of 6 bull elk outrages Utah community, and neighbors are fighting back

Utah neighbors have raised more than $16,000 to find who shot six bull elk and left them to waste.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said in a Monday news release that six mature bull elk were shot and killed in the Knob Hill area of Park City sometime between Dec. 20 and Jan. 15.

“The area between Knob Hill and the Glenwild Residential Area is home to a herd of large, adult bull elk,” the news release read. “Local residents routinely see the animals there, sunning themselves during the winter months. As the winter progressed, the people who watched the elk noted that there appeared to be fewer animals than normal.”

Officials found that six elk were “left to waste,” including five large enough to be considered “trophy-size animals,” according to the Division of Wildlife Resources. Each has a minimum restitution of $8,000.

When residents found out what had happened to the elk that roamed their neighborhoods, they started a GoFundMe to raise money for a reward.

“This is a reward being setup for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a poacher (or poachers) who recently killed at least 5 bull elk in Snyderville, Utah, just north of Park City and Kimball Junction,” John Nowoslawski, who lives in Silver Creek, wrote on GoFundMe. “No meat or antlers were taken as part of the slaughter. Any hunter will tell you it’s not exactly hunting season right now.”

The post says officials say the elk were shot with a small caliber and died a “slow, painful death.” The money raised is to go to “anyone who provides information that directly leads to the arrest and conviction of the poacher,” Nowoslawski wrote.

Since the GoFundMe was launched on Friday, more than 50 people have given money. It has raised $16,502, passing its goal of $10,000.

“Those of us who live here knew this herd very well,” Nowoslawski wrote. “They were beautiful animals and these big boys traveled as a group of ~13-15 and were hard to miss. … This senseless slaughter must receive justice.”