Young hunter who mistakenly shot elk won't be able to keep its meat

A 14-year-old hunter from Missouri who shot an elk by mistake will not get to keep the meat, hide or antlers of the animal, conservation officials said.

Abby Wilson, 14, shot the elk Saturday in Boone County, thinking it was a large white-tailed buck, the Springfield News-Leader reported. Her father, Donald White, immediately called the Conservation Department upon realizing his daughter's mistake.

Abby killed the bull elk with a single shot from a .243-caliber rifle, the News-Leader reported.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is refrigerating the elk carcass and may donate the meat to needy families.

Abby’s story went viral Monday. Many posters on social media poked fun at her mistake, with one even suggesting that Abby should be jailed.

Donald White was upset with the tone of many of the posts, suggesting that her daughter was being bullied and mocked.

"There's no sense in it, people doing that," he told the News-Leader. "Don't come at my daughter saying lock her away. Wow. If my daughter gets fined, I'll pay it and move on. So be it. We'll deal with it."

Cox Media Group