What would you do to help free two fatigued bull elk with their anglers locked together? If you’re Jacob Stoller, a life-long hunter and fisheries biologist with the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), you use one well-placed shot from the barrel of a slug-loaded shotgun.
“Anytime you can help an animal survive like that it feels good,” said Stoller.
Responding to a call in northeast Nevada, Stoller was the only available NDOW employee to help out. Once assessing the situation in the remote mountains, he determined the best thing to do while also avoid being gored was to try to shoot off one of the antlers.
He got to within five to eight yards, made sure he fired high enough to avoid inflicting injury and then fired three shots. The first one missed, the second nicked and antler and the third got the job done.