LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A blood trail led to an arrow used to illegally kill a deer at the Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve Monday, according to officials.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Louisville Nature Center, which is off Poplar Level Road, said a hunter baited and killed a deer with a crossbow on Monday.
Its executive director, Rebecca Minnick, called the behavior 'reckless.'
"We started hiking through the woods and saw what was a pile of bait. Salt blocks and deer feed," she said. "(We) followed the blood trail and actually found an arrow right by the bait pile."
The Kentucky Department Fish and Wildlife is investigating the incident.
The center said hunting of any kind is illegal on its property and its surrounding woods.
In addition, the center said the incident was very careless due to many people who visit the forest every day to hike, work and play.
"It's just reckless to go and fire a weapon, it's highly illegal," said Minnick. "There were multiple laws broken. We won't tolerate any criminal activity in our forest. It's a wonderful safe gem in our city."
The center is working with Fish and Wildlife officials to find the poacher and prevent this from happening again.
If anyone has any information about this incident, they are asked to report it to Fish and Wildlife.
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