Three Missouri Men Sentenced for Illegal 2023 Bull Elk Poaching

Three Missouri men have been sentenced in Shannon County court for their involvement in the illegal killing and abandonment of a bull elk in 2023, following a months-long investigation by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Michael K. O’Neail of De Soto pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, which was suspended pending two years of probation and payment of a $10,000 fine within a year. Kevin B. Click and Travis R. Wadlow, both from Bonne Terre and not directly responsible for the elk poaching, were each fined $500 and ordered to contribute $750 to the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation for illegal possession of a deer they did not Telecheck. The investigation began after a 14-year-old hunter found the dead elk near Klepzig Mill during the 2023 firearms deer season, prompting extensive interviews, surveillance reviews, and evidence collection. The fines collected support local school districts, reflecting Missouri's commitment to wildlife conservation. MDC officials emphasized that poaching harms wildlife resources and the community, contrasting lawful hunting's positive role in conservation.