Idaho Fish and Game investigating illegal killing of two elk at Farragut State Park

Wildlife officials are investigating the illegal killing of two elk at a state park in North Idaho.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game learned Sunday of a dead cow elk and a dead bull elk calf at Farragut State Park in Athol, according to a news release.

The animals were found less than a half-mile from the visitor center near state Highway 54. Both had been shot and parts of them had been removed, according to the release.

The park is closed to hunting, and no elk season is open.

Wardens believe the elk were killed either late at night or early in the morning on Friday or Saturday. The release said the killing likely took place "under the cover of darkness."

Idaho Fish and Game is encouraging anyone with information to call the Citizens Against Poaching hotline at (800) 632-5999 or report the information online at citizensagainstpoaching.org.

The release says a reward will be requested for tipsters who "provide credible, detailed information that significantly helps identify the person(s) involved and leads to any relevant charges."

TJ Ross, an Idaho Fish and Game spokesman, said that because the elk were found near a busy part of the park, the agency thinks the public might be able to help.

"It's in a very heavily used, high-trafficked area," Ross said. "We're expecting that somebody from the public knows something."

A former naval training station, Farragut State Park includes about 4,000 acres on the southern tip of Lake Pend Oreille. Ross said a herd of elk has been hanging around the park in recent weeks.

It's not the first time the park has been the site of a poaching case. Farragut State Park officials wrote in a social media post that two deer were found in the same area last fall.

A cougar found headless at the park earlier this month stirred questions about whether it was poached. Fish and Game officials said it appeared to have died of natural causes and that someone had removed its head. Salvaging the head or horns of a wild animal found dead is legal in Idaho.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 7:16 PM.