By Renee Worthing 

Staff Writer

For the third year in a row, someone has illegally killed a bull moose in Acton and game wardens are anxious to find out who did it.

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Spokesman Deb Turcotte said the 800-pound moose, discovered off Sam Page Road near the Acton Town Hall, is believed to have been killed Nov. 1, the first day of deer hunting season.

Wildlife officials do not know if there is any link to the previous moose killings, but said if the person is caught, he faces charges of “wasteful killing” which may demand mandatory jail time and suspension of hunting privileges.

She said the animal’s carcass was intact, including the rack and the meat.

Turcotte said there is no moose hunting allowed in Acton. Moose hunting is permitted in four wildlife management districts in Maine, mostly in northern areas.

The killing is highlighted on the Maine Operation Game Thief Web site and officials hope someone will help break the case with a tip to the hotline.

Operation Game Thief Chairman Chuck Allen said the non-profit organization, founded in 1989, provides a means for people to anonymously report violations of Maine’s hunting and fishing laws. The organization pays rewards up to $1,000 for tips that lead to the arrest or summons of a person who breaks fish and game laws.

He said since the inception of Maine Operation Game Thief, between $75,000 and $80,000 has been paid in rewards, although “the majority of people don’t want the money.”

He said based on tips made to Operation Game Thief hotline about 7,000 apprehensions have been made in the past 19 years and he hopes one more arrest or summons can be made in the moose killing incident.

“Acton is a small, close knit community,” he said. “Someone knows something.”

He said people should report any suspicious behavior such as shots fired at night, shots fired in the woods on Sundays and any other questionable activity.

“Anything that doesn’t seem legal, probably isn’t,” he said.

Allen said aside form the illegality of the slaughter, he is concerned the killing will cast hunters in a bad light and said hunters should be motivated to report anything they know about the case.

“There are ethical hunters out there,” he said. “By and large, hunters hunt legally and the sight of that dead moose should make them angry.”

People opposed to hunting tend to “paint with a wide brush” and may vilify hunters, Allen said.

Allen said Maine game wardens are at a disadvantage because only 95 wardens monitor the state and about one-third of them are on duty at any given time.

“They really need the eyes and ears of the public,” he said. “Just like in police cases, people sometimes know something they don’t realize is important. Even if someone calls and can tell them [wardens] who was hunting up there at that time, that can help.”

He said it’s never too late to report suspicious activity to Maine Operation Game Thief.

“Even if it’s old information, the game wardens file it in the back of their minds as background information,” he said. “They can remain completely anonymous.”

Tipsters do not have to give their name in order to receive a reward nor do they have to testify in court.

Anyone with information  is encouraged to contact Maine Operation Game Thief 24-hour hotline at 1-800-ALERT-US or 1-800-253-7887 or leave a tip at www.maineogt.org or Maine State Police 657-3030.