Three Missouri Men Sentenced in Elk Poaching Case

Shannon Co., Mo. (KFMO) - Three Missouri men have been sentenced following a months-long investigation into the illegal killing of a bull elk in Shannon County.

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, Michael K. O’Neail of De Soto pleaded guilty on September 3 to killing and abandoning a bull elk. He received a 60-day jail sentence, which was suspended, provided he completes two years of probation and pays a $10,000 fine within a year.

Two others, Kevin B. Click and Travis R. Wadlow of Bonne Terre, were each fined $500 plus court costs and ordered to contribute $750 to the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation for the illegal take or possession of white-tailed deer.

The investigation began after a 14-year-old deer hunter discovered the dead elk near Klepzig Mill during the November 2023 firearms deer season. Conservation agents spent nine months interviewing hunters, reviewing surveillance and elk-monitoring footage, and serving five search warrants before the arrests.

In addition to the elk case, the three men were also charged with illegal possession of a deer they failed to telecheck.