Idaho wildlife officials seeking answers to “unusual” geese deaths

BLOOMINGTON, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (DFG) said they have a “particularly unusual wildlife case” and they are looking for help from the public.

At some point over the 4th of July weekend, Jennifer Jackson with Idaho DFG said that somebody ran over multiple adult geese that were crossing a road with juvenile geese, or goslings, walking behind the adults.

It wasn’t just once. Jackson said that the same thing happened in three locations along a 200-yard stretch of Bloomington Bottoms Road, near Bloomington in Bear Lake County. The road is part paved, part dirt road, and runs near the Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

 

The unusual part was what Idaho wildlife officers said they found at the scenes — the heads of many of the geese had been removed and taken. Based on the precision of the cuts, Jackson said they don’t believe an animal took the heads.

“It’s an unusual case of human behavior,” Jackson said. And an intentional act, she added.

Additionally, the Canada Goose is a migratory bird and is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 2020. In part, the MBTA “prohibits the killing, capturing, selling, trading, and transport of protected migratory bird species without prior authorization by the Department of Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”

Idaho wildlife officials are offering a reward for information that leads to an arrest. They ask the public to contact Senior Conservation Officer Kolby White at 208-204-3921 with any information. You may also call the Citizens Against Poaching Hotline at 1-800-632-5999. Callers can remain anonymous.

Other reading:

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• Utah reports 1,056 animals illegally poached last year across state
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