eagle45
Member
I think I'd have to buy another freezer for this one. 
http://www.theeveningleader.com/articles/2005/11/30/news/news.03.txt
Hunter bags bull elk
By CAROLYN MOORE
ST. MARYS — Deer gun seasons means many things to many people. Many treasure the chance to get back to the great outdoors. For some it provides food for their tables. For others, it's about bragging rights.
A St. Marys man unexpectedly won bragging rights Tuesday when he shot a bull elk north of St. Marys.
Bud Davenport of Noble Township shot and claimed the animal, but Matt Hoehn, the Auglaize County Game Warden with the Division of Wildlife, had to break the news that the elk was not wild but a captive elk that was on the loose.
Hoehn said the bull elk had been reported wandering north of St. Marys in June.
Hoehn said that they tried with much effort to find the beast but through the forests and the crops could never catch sight of it.
"We found out that an elk had escaped a pen in June and (we) flew a helicopter around Ohio 116 but we could not find anything," Hoehn said.
Hoehn said that he, as well as the Mercer County game warden, searched for the animal for months but had no luck because the animal was so elusive.
He continued by saying that he would receive phone calls on sightings of the elk but no one could seem to keep it in one place. He said that calls started becoming more frequent when all of the crops were cut down.
Hoehn stated that his concern with the animal was the spreading of disease among deer in the local area, which is why the division had been on the lookout for it.
Hoehn said that there are no laws regarding non-native animals and said that the owner must not have claimed that it was missing. He added that there are a few residents around the Auglaize and Mercer County area who raise bull elks to sell to shooting preservations. He said that some preservations pay up to $20,000 per animal.
Davenport called Hoehn to make sure he could keep the elk, which pleased Hoehn, knowing that his search had ended. Hoehn saw no reason why Davenport could not keep the elk.
"Hopefully this is a one-time incident, but he probably killed the only free-range elk in Ohio," Hoehn said.
http://www.theeveningleader.com/articles/2005/11/30/news/news.03.txt
Hunter bags bull elk
By CAROLYN MOORE
ST. MARYS — Deer gun seasons means many things to many people. Many treasure the chance to get back to the great outdoors. For some it provides food for their tables. For others, it's about bragging rights.
A St. Marys man unexpectedly won bragging rights Tuesday when he shot a bull elk north of St. Marys.
Bud Davenport of Noble Township shot and claimed the animal, but Matt Hoehn, the Auglaize County Game Warden with the Division of Wildlife, had to break the news that the elk was not wild but a captive elk that was on the loose.
Hoehn said the bull elk had been reported wandering north of St. Marys in June.
Hoehn said that they tried with much effort to find the beast but through the forests and the crops could never catch sight of it.
"We found out that an elk had escaped a pen in June and (we) flew a helicopter around Ohio 116 but we could not find anything," Hoehn said.
Hoehn said that he, as well as the Mercer County game warden, searched for the animal for months but had no luck because the animal was so elusive.
He continued by saying that he would receive phone calls on sightings of the elk but no one could seem to keep it in one place. He said that calls started becoming more frequent when all of the crops were cut down.
Hoehn stated that his concern with the animal was the spreading of disease among deer in the local area, which is why the division had been on the lookout for it.
Hoehn said that there are no laws regarding non-native animals and said that the owner must not have claimed that it was missing. He added that there are a few residents around the Auglaize and Mercer County area who raise bull elks to sell to shooting preservations. He said that some preservations pay up to $20,000 per animal.
Davenport called Hoehn to make sure he could keep the elk, which pleased Hoehn, knowing that his search had ended. Hoehn saw no reason why Davenport could not keep the elk.
"Hopefully this is a one-time incident, but he probably killed the only free-range elk in Ohio," Hoehn said.
