KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said ever since elk were reintroduced into the wild in 2000, 16 were poached. Four of those elk were poached over the last fall and winter, the agency said.
The TWRA also said only six poaching cases have ever been solved. The agency mostly relies on tips from the public to track down people responsible for illegally killing elk, and the TWRA offers rewards for information leading to arrests in the cases.
In October 2023, the TWRA said a bull elk was illegally shot and killed with a crossbow in the Dutch Valley area of Anderson County. A total of $3,000 is being offered for information about that case.
In late December 202, an elk calf was found by a hunter in the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, in Claiborne County. Another $3,000 is being offered for information in that case.
In November, two other elk were poached in the same wildlife management area. The TWRA identified a suspect and charged him in the case. Preston W. Douglas, 33, from Jacksboro, was charged for illegally taking elk, failing to retrieve game, hunting during a closed season and for a tagging violation.
An officer said another hunter reached out about multiple gunshots near their location and had made contact with Douglas.
In a citation, Douglas said he killed two deer in the area. Officers said they investigated and found that he had actually hunted and killed two elk in the NCWMA. The citations also said he did not retrieve the animals nor report them.
He was expected in court on Dec. 19, but he initially failed to appear in court. The TWRA said he has since visited the courthouse and a new court date has yet to be set.
Illegally killing an elk in Tennessee is considered a Class A misdemeanor, and people can face up to a year in prison with a fine of up to $2,500. Anyone who kills an elk without antlers may also need to pay restitution of $1,500 while killing an elk with antlers can lead to a $1,500 restitution payment with either an additional $500 or $750 per antler, depending on the size of the elk.
Hunters may also lose their hunting equipment and privileges for illegally hunting elk.
To legally hunt elk, hunters in Tennessee need to apply for an "elk quota permit," which effectively allows a hunter to bag a single antlered elk from specific areas, including in NCWMA. Elk season is also relatively short in Tennessee, lasting from late September until mid-October in 2023.