LINCOLN COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A recent investigation by officers in District 5 resulted in charges being filed against a Lincoln County resident regarding him illegally possessing elk parts gathered from the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area in Logan/Mingo County.
When the elk management plan was drafted, special restrictions were put in place to minimize, as much as possible, disturbances to the animals in an effort to reduce stressing the animals unnecessarily. One such restriction included in the law prohibits the possession elk parts, which includes the shed antlers from the elk.
In many western states, gathering elk sheds is considered a major event attended by multitudes of people which creates a major human disturbance to the animals. When these animals receive a lot of human pressure, they tend to leave that area in search of seclusion, which could drive them miles away from their intended home range. Not wanting this type of event to develop in the future in West Virginia, the restriction was put in place from the beginning of our restoration program. Additionally, the elk biologists use the shed antlers to keep track of animals by matching the sheds to known animals in the herd.
Officer Gage Harvey recently received information that the Lincoln County man had possession of several WV elk sheds in addition to an elk “dead head”, which is an elk skull with the antlers still attached. Sgt. Larry Harvey, Sgt. Runyon and Officers Miller and Holloran along with WV State Police Cpl. Ramey assisted Officer Harvey with serving a search warrant where the elk parts were supposed to be kept. Located during the search were 5 bull elk shed antlers and a 6 X 6 bull elk “dead head”. The man admitted to collecting them from the Tomblin WMA in Mingo County. He was cited with six counts of Illegal Possession of Elk or parts thereof. Each charge carries a possible penalty of $1,000 to $5,000 in fines or confined in jail for 30 to 100 days, or both.