Officials seeking public's help to solve wildlife crimes

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials are hoping to receive tips on two wildlife crimes that occurred in the Libby area in late January.

Phil Kilbreath, Montana FWP game warden, said that on Jan. 25, someone drove around a gate on Michaels Draw (off Pipe Creek Road), shot a 5-by-5 whitetail buck, abandoned it in the field and wasted the meat.

“The deer appears to have run a considerable distance before dying,” Kilbreath said. “The shooters drove to where the blood trail left the road and that was all the farther they went. Footprints indicate that two people were likely present when the deer was shot.”

Violations include hunting out of season, driving past a closed gate and leaving the deer to waste.

Another crime occurred in late January when someone dumped an elk carcass several miles up Sheldon Mountain Road.

“The elk appears to have been killed during the general season, but was hung too long and spoiled,” Kilbreath said. “The elk was wrapped in a white-colored sheet secured with safety pins and the head was missing. The elk is believed to be a bull.”

Kilbreath said one of the most troubling aspects of the crimes was wasting meat that could’ve gone to good use.

“This case is equally disturbing, in light of the low hunting success this past season and the difficult economic times in the Libby-Troy area,” Kilbreath said about the elk killing. “This person was one of the lucky few to get an elk and they let it hang until it wasted. They could have donated it to any number of needy people who could have cut it up and fed their family.”

To report tips

Anyone with information about either case is encouraged to call Montana FWP Warden Phil Kilbreath at 291-6539 or dial 1-800-TIPMONT.

Anyone providing information leading to a conviction may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Callers may remain anonymous.