AUGUSTA — In response to the illegal night-time poaching of two large bucks on Mount Desert Island, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, in collaboration with Operation Game Thief and the Maine Warden Service, is offering a reward of up to $4,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the responsible parties.
Authorities report that the first deer was killed on the night of Oct. 5, or in the early morning hours of Oct. 6, in the town of Mount Desert.
The buck was shot and left to decay in a small field, where it was discovered the following morning by a concerned citizen who alerted the Warden Service.
The second incident occurred during the early hours of Nov. 6 in Tremont.
In a similarly gruesome discovery, this buck’s head had been removed, and the remainder of the carcass left to rot.
Both incidents are particularly egregious as Mount Desert Island has long been closed to hunting, and nocturnal hunting poses significant safety risks.
The Maine Operation Game Thief program is offering $2,000 for information on each of the illegally killed deer, totaling $4,000 for both.
The initiative aims to deter illegal poaching activities and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Members of the public with any information about these poaching incidents are urged to contact the authorities immediately by calling 1-800-ALERT-US.
The Maine Warden Service enforces the state’s game laws to preserve Maine’s rich wildlife resources and ensure public safety.
The cooperation of the community is crucial in these efforts to combat wildlife crimes.
