If photos recently submitted to a social media platform and shared with park rangers tell the apparent story – a woman flouted both state and federal laws by trying to pack a huge elk skull and antlers out of Yellowstone National Park.
In the photos, an unidentified woman is seen carrying an elk skull with a large set of antlers still attached to it in broad daylight, supposedly within the park.
The photos were apparently taken Saturday, Jen Mignard told Cowboy State Daily. She’s the administrator of the popular Facebook page “Yellowstone National Park: Invasion of the Idiots.”
The photos were posted on the Invasion of Idiots page by Jeffrey Haines, who wrote that he saw the woman with the skull and antlers Saturday afternoon between Gardiner and Mammoth. He added that the incident was also reported to park rangers.
Park Service spokeswoman Linda Veress told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday that if a violation did occur, the agency would investigate it, but there aren’t yet any details to report.
It is strictly against Park Service policy for visitors to remove any “natural or cultural resources” – including antlers – from Yellowstone, she said.
Moreover, it also would be against Wyoming Game and Fish regulations to take an intact big game skull with antlers without reporting it to the agency and getting a permit to keep it.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
