Cochrane Fish & Wildlife have turned their search to social media in hopes that someone may have information on a big horn sheep found west of Turner Valley on September 23,2015.

Even though it has been over a year, Brendan Cox, Government of Alberta, Public Affairs Officer says they are asking for the public’s help now in hopes that some photos may have slipped on social media.

“We are releasing this information now because we’ve let some time pass. It was a strategic decision that allowed some time for the pictures to circulate among the public so now we are hoping that perhaps someone has seen pictures like this and can phone the Report a poacher line with whatever information they might have.”

Some indicators to watch out for in the photos is that the big horn sheep had tags on both ears. The tag on the left ear is yellow with the number 30 marked on it and the right ear’s tag is purple with the number 39. Officers suspect the person who shot the animal propped up its head up on a log in order to take photos.

Cox says the issue here isn’t that the big horn sheep was shot since it is hunting season for the area, September 7 to October 31, but rather the animal’s meat was left.

“It’s illegal to shoot a big game animal and leave it to waste. At that time of year the big horn sheep is in season but the main concern here is that this is a highly sought after animal and there are many hunters that would like the opportunity to hunt such an animal in an ethical way and it is rather unethical to shoot one and just abandon it”

If convicted charges for poaching under the Wild Life Act come with a maximum fine of $50,000 or up to a year in jail.