A desert bighorn sheep was shot and left to rot about 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, Arizona. The adult ram, which was found near an agricultural field near Gila Bend, was shot around the weekend of Jan. 13, according to Fox News.
“There is no justifiable reason to poach an animal during a closed season and leave it to waste," said Travis Clarkson, a wildlife manager with the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Yuma office. “Poachers are not hunters or sportsmen; they are criminals who are stealing from the residents of Arizona.”
“Due to the location of the crime scene, a hunter, an off-highway vehicle user, or a field worker near the area may have seen something or heard something that may assist officers in solving this case,” Clarkson added.
A group of local hunting and conservation groups have banned together to offer a $6,500 reward to anyone with information leading to an arrest. Tips can be phoned in to the Operation Game Thief Hotline at 1-800-352-0700.