A Missouri adolescent who accidentally shot a protected elk has been ridiculed online, according to her father.
Abby Wilson, 14, shot an elk that she confused for a deer on a hunting trip with her dad. The father and daughter were lawfully shooting deer in Missouri during deer season, but elk are protected in the region.
Don White, the teen’s father, stated that after seeing the animal’s body, he notified the Missouri Department of Conservation.
They believe they just shot an elk, he explained.
White stated that his daughter has received criticism from online groups after their tale became viral.
Idiots and their progeny with firearms in the woods, don’t even know what they’re firing at, a Facebook group named “STOP Trophy Hunting NOW” said in response to the article.
Don’t come at his kid and say lock her up, White protested. If his daughter receives a fine, he will pay it and move on. That’s OK. They’ll handle it.
White went on to say that he and his daughter believed conservation officials would let them retain the animal’s flesh and antlers.
He’d make sure everyone in his family had some of it, White stated.
It’s odd that the elk was found in Boone County, over 200 miles from where a wild elk population had been reintroduced in Carter and Shannon counties.
Even conservationist Adam Doerhoff was skeptical about the elk until White brought him photographic evidence.
According to the Springfield News-Leader Dorehoff stated, the dad emailed him a snapshot on his phone and it was quite evident that, sure, that’s an elk. That’s not something one expects to see. He has learnt not to say never.
To see one in Boone County is unusual, said conservation department spokesperson Robert Hemmelgarn.
She noticed the antlers and the body. She mistook it for a deer and fired the shot, said Tom Strother, the department’s regional supervisor. This young lady had most likely never seen an elk in the wild before. The father did the right thing by phoning them right away.
Staff told White that “no portions of the elk will be given to him or the family,” according to Strother. If the meat is proven to be disease-free, it may be donated to needy families.
According to a post on WXIA’s Facebook page, users questioned if the girl should be penalized for the elk’s death.
“Elk are a protected species. Elk hunting is forbidden since there is no elk season. Ignorance or age is not an excuse for breaching the law. She committed a mistake, and there will be repercussions,” one user argued
“The fact that the father requested the trophies from this animal is simply offensive. Your daughter shot a protected elk illegally; no, you do not receive the trophies from an unlawful deed. She should not be imprisoned, but a fine is certainly deserved.”
“She’s 14. She’s still learning. Her father, on the other hand, did the right thing by contacting right away “another commenter said “The elk had no tag, and they stated there had been no sightings of elk in the region, so it was strange to even find one out there.”
