A hunter from Minnesota was cited for taking a caribou over bag limit in the Northwest Arctic after a bullet from his gun passed through the caribou that was his intended target and hit another caribou, killing it.
Alaska Wildlife Troopers in Kotzebue cited Nathan Olson, 38, on Sept. 1, Alaska State Troopers wrote in an online dispatch Wednesday.
Olson was hunting in the area of the Anisak River. He immediately contacted Alaska Wildlife Troopers to report the violation and salvaged meat from the caribou, as required by law.
"Investigation revealed Olson killed the second bull caribou when his bullet passed through the first bull he shot at, hitting the second caribou in the vitals," the dispatch said.
Troopers seized the meat. Olson was issued a summons to appear in Kotzebue District Court for the citation on Sept. 17.
On Wednesday, troopers in a news release also reminded hunters to self-report hunting violations, saying that while a citation for taking an animal illegally is likely, "you will receive a substantially lower fine and other potential leniency compared to not self-reporting."