Game & Fish Investigates Moose Poaching - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

It's rare to catch site of a moose near Bismarck.

But some people had reported seeing a cow calf pair in the Moffit area.

The story doesn't have a happy ending.

The calf--a bull moose--was recently found shot dead.

The Game and Fish Department is gathering evidence in hopes of tracking down the shooter or shooters.

It's not a picture from a once in a lifetime hunt.

This bull moose was shot illegally sometime between the opening of the deer gun season and November 18th.

"He was part of the cow calf pair that was seen opening weekend of deer gun season. Since that time we have had one report that could have potentially been the cow moose but we have not heard nor seen of her since that time, that second weekend," says Jackie

You can still see bits of hide where the moose was found dead. Game Warden Jackie Lundstrom continues to search for clues. She says a veterinarian will look at the moose soon, which will provide evidence.

"We do a necropsy on the moose to recover any bullets that may be inside and also to help determine the time of death, narrow down the time of death and whether or not the animal could have moved from the spot where it was found," says

The area is a not posted and is a couple of miles from a paved road. Surrounded by corn cattails and willows the area is a wildlife hotspot.

"It's an area where many, many hunters can frequent because it is not posted so the potential for more than the callers to have seen this animal is higher so we encourage anyone that may have stumbled across him to give us a call and let us know the date and time when they did see him,"

A moose tag is considered once in a lifetime in North Dakota. Lundstrom says that should make this senseless killing especially upsetting to hunters.

The autopsy results should help reveal several things in the case, including what caliber weapon or weapons were used. It could also help determine things like the direction and distance of the shot or shots and even where the moose was shot.

If you have any information on the case, call the Report All Poachers line toll free at 800-472-2121. You can remain anonymous. A $1,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction.