We have big problems with elk poachers here in Northern Arizona. It doesn't help that people come here and set up with signs that say "I buy elk antlers---cash paid". Why? Well, evidently elk antler is a big thing in Asian folk medicine. Hey, whatever floats your boat, but do it legally! It's disgusting to see hundreds of pounds of prime meat and broth bones go to waste so some jerk can take the antlers and make a few bucks. They caught one ring of elk poachers here last year. A ring of them!!! All after antlers. And the whole ring was set up with fences to transfer the stuff---just like a ring of thieves. Of course, that's what they are.
Then we had some clowns a few years back that shot and killed some burros. Why? Why do people get kicks out of killing like that? Kinda scares you.
And even when people go into the woods looking for naturally-shed elk antlers, these guys physically fight over those! Geez, people, come on!
Every year, elk carcasses are found here with just the antlers gone. It's illegal in this state to knowingly let any edible portion of a game animal go to waste. But so much emphasis is placed here on "THE RACK" that the meat isn't job one. Lots of it goes bad. I've seen elk camps where there was several meals worth of meat left behind. It looked like the butchering was done by a bush hog. Rope left up in the tree with legs attached. Yeah, gotta get the head to the taxidermist ASAP! The meat can wait. Geez, get a life...
