SPOKANE – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is partnering with the Idaho

Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) to solve a poaching case that straddles the Idaho/Washington border.

A cow elk and white-tailed doe were illegally killed, and the meat wasted, the night of April 17. Between approximately 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., the animals were shot three miles west of the town of Blanchard, in a privately-owned field off east Blanchard Road in Washington. The hindquarters of the elk were removed, but later dumped off Blanchard Cutoff Road, east of Highway 41 in Idaho.

Necropsies revealed both animals were in the later months of pregnancies.

"This is an egregious crime," said WDFW Police Captain Dan Rahn. "Not only was the shooting outside of the hunting season, but the animals were spotlighted, which is illegal, the meat was wasted, and a total of four animals killed."

Rewards are being offered in this case through both WDFW and IDFG for information that leads to a citation.

If you have information on this case, there are several ways to report it. Call 877-933-9847, email [email protected] or send a text tip to 847411. You can also report online at https://wdfw.wa.gov/about/enforcement/report. Tips can be provided anonymously. A monetary reward or bonus points toward special hunts are available for information leading to an arrest.