Assiniboia man charged with illegal hunting after dead elk found in northern Sask.

The body of a cow elk was discovered near the community of Aylsham, Sask. on Sept. 27. A man from the Assiniboia was later charged with illegal hunting in relation to the death. (Source: Facebook/Sasktips)

Conservation officers in the province have successfully charged a man with illegal hunting after the remains of an elk were found in a rural area north of Melfort.

Conservation officers in Nipawin were originally notified on Sept. 27 of a cow elk that had been shot and left to waste near Aylsham, Sask., which is located 265 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.

The animal was discovered, and officers began searching for evidence at the scene. Authorities believed that the elk had been shot sometime between the evening of Sept. 24 and Sept. 26. There was a draw on elk of either sex at the time.

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According to a post from Sasktip on Monday, a suspect was identified and charged.

The suspect, who was only identified as a man from the Assiniboia area, faces two counts of unlawfully hunting, two counts of waste of game and one count of hunting without landowner consent.

Sasktip is a non-profit organization that maintains a fund to reward people who help catch those who violate environmental laws.

While it is not a governmental organization, Sasktip does work on behalf of the Ministry of Environment.