Arizona Game and Fish seeking information on illegal bighorn sheep kill
May 7, 2023, 8:00 PM
Desert bighorn rams are seen in the early morning in the Trilobite Wilderness region of Mojave Trails National Monument on August 28, 2017 near Essex, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is looking for the person or people who illegally shot and killed a bighorn sheep and left it to waste in Apache County.
The ram was found in a rock quarry near U.S. Route 191 west of Nutrioso, and the killing occurred between late evening April 28 and early morning April 29, AZGFD said in a press release.
“Anyone who has information regarding this incident should report it,” AZGFD Wildlife Manager Tylor McGaughey said in the release. “This is not the act of a hunter. Poaching is a crime and is stealing wildlife from the citizens of Arizona.
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“It is important for anyone with information to come forward and help Game and Fish bring those responsible to justice.”
AZGFD asked anyone with information to call its hotline 800-352-0700 or report it online.
The department is offering $2,000 for information leading to an arrest, and callers can remain anonymous.
The reward comes from donations, court fines and civil restitution by violators of wildlife crimes, according to AZGFD.
The Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, a group dedicated to conservation of the species, is offering an additional $2,500 for information that leads to a conviction.
Arizona has an estimated population of approximately 6,000 bighorn sheep with both desert and Rocky Mountain bighorns.
Rams are distinguished with heavy curving horns.
