Summersville Man Charged in Elk Poaching Case at Peck Ranch Conservation Area

Carter Co., Mo. (KFMO) - A Summersville man is facing several charges after investigators say he illegally killed a mature bull elk inside the wildlife refuge at the Peck Ranch Conservation Area.

The case began November 26, 2025, when a Poplar Bluff couple driving along the elk viewing route reported a dead elk to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Conservation agents responded and found the mature bull elk had been shot and left to rot inside the refuge.

Agents documented the scene, collected evidence, and conducted a necropsy on the animal as the investigation began.

Over the next four months, conservation agents interviewed witnesses and followed up on anonymous tips and reports through the Operation Game Thief hotline. Investigators also gathered surveillance video from a cooperating business and executed three search warrants.

Additional forensic and firearm analysis assistance was provided by the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The suspect is charged with taking elk inconsistent with the Wildlife Code of Missouri, taking elk inside a state wildlife refuge, taking elk with the aid of artificial light, and wanton waste of the elk.

A probable cause statement filed by conservation agents led a judge in Carter County to issue a court summons ordering the man to appear for arraignment April 14.

Officials say tips from the public were key in solving the case and continue to encourage anyone with information about wildlife violations to report them through the Operation Game Thief hotline.