We were disgusted to read in Saturday’s edition that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources investigated two poached elk in less than a week.

Conservation officers believe a bull elk reported Friday near Teets Trail, west of Voyer Lake Road, was killed by a single gunshot, possibly by a hunter who mistook the elk for a deer. That followed a report on Tuesday of another mature elk poached in Otsego County.

In the Otsego County case, information from the public led to the identification of a suspect within 24 hours, according to DNR representatives.

As of today, the DNR still was investigating the Montmorency County case.

The right to hunt comes with great responsibility. Knowing what you’re shooting at is hunter’s safety 101.

DNR scientists set the hunting seasons and bag limits to protect the animal population, to guarantee they’re around for future hunters or future nature-watchers and to make sure the animals can continue to play the important roles they play in our ecosystem.

Poachers are nothing short of thieves, robbing their neighbors and their grandchildren of the bounty God has provided for all of us.

In 2018, the DNR received 33,637 calls about hunting and fishing violations, generating 6,787 complaints that were investigated, the DNR says online.

We hope each and every poacher is caught and prosecuted.

To share information that may help with the current investigation, contact the DNR Customer Service Center at 989-732-3541 or call or text the 24-hour Report All Poaching hotline at 800-292-7800.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)