The first round of elk season in Michigan has started, and the state says it will give a financial reward to tipsters who successfully report poaching.
There are roughly 1,100 elk across the state, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has granted 260 elk licenses for the two seasons this year.
Sgt. Mike Mshar, with the DNR law enforcement division, said around 60-70,000 people apply for an elk license in the state.
"It's just more of a sought after animal for people, and so we do see poaching activity," Mshar said. "Obviously we've had some in the past. We have five or six open cases from the last two years where someone has shot an elk and left it."
Mshar said the state relies on reports from the public to catch poachers. If a tip results in a conviction for illegal elk activity, the state will award tipsters $2,500.
"Conservation officers can't do our jobs without the help of the public," Mshar said. "If you see something that just doesn't look right, that's when we want people to call the RAP (Report All Poaching) line."
Mshar also said it's important to "know your season" in order to recognize suspicious activity. The first hunt period for elk season goes from Aug. 27-30, Sept. 13-16, Sept. 27-30 The second hunt period goes from Dec. 14-22.
Editor's note: The Michigan DNR is a sponsor of WCMU. We report on them as we do with any other organization.
