VANDERBILT -- Four Otsego County men are charged with killing an elk.
Joshua Tillman, 19, Alex Webber, 17, Eric Webber, 20, and Joseph Moore, 20 were arrested in connection with the shooting on April 20.
The men, all from Vanderbilt, are charged with illegally killing an elk and using an artificial light while in possession of a firearm. Department of Natural Resources conservation officers also seized firearms and recovered the head of a bull elk when they arrested the suspects.
"The Department of Natural Resources' Law Enforcement Division would like to thank the public for its assistance in providing information that ultimately led to the break in this investigation," said DNR conservation officer Mark DePew. "Without the public's help, this case might not have been solved."
All four suspects face fines of up to $2,500, restitution of up to $1,500, loss of the firearm used in the incident, and loss of hunting privileges for up to three years.
DNR officers continue to investigate the illegal killing of a cow elk that occurred on or around March 14 near M-33, just south of Rouse Road in Montmorency County. Officers believe the March incident is not connected to the April case.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the DNR's Law Enforcement Division at the Gaylord Operations Center, 989-732-3541, or the 24-hour Report All Poaching Line at 800-292-7800. Information can be left anonymously, and monetary rewards are often offered for information that leads to the arrest of violators.
