A cow has been shot while a drone flew overhead at a Forge Creek Road property last week.
In a strange set of circumstances an Angus cow with a young Charolais calf at foot was shot once in the gut and then in the head, while a drone with searchlights was in the air at the time.
The owner of the 56-acre property, Ronald McMillan, is horrified that someone would do such a thing, especially just half a kilometre from the Paynesville Road.
“It’s evil, fancy coming and shooting the mother,” Mr McMillan said.
“My son-in-law lives there, and he heard the gunshot noise, so he went outside and that’s when he noticed the drone’s lights shining on the cattle.
“He must have frightened them away
as the lights went off and the drone disappeared.
“The shooter has climbed the fence and walked onto our property to shoot the cow.
“She and the steers were camped two or three hundred metres from the road in the centre of the paddock.
“We want to get the message out to people that it can happen at night. People think rustlers just work in the daytime.”
Mr McMillan can only guess that the perpetrators wanted the young calf.
“It was about 8pm-8.30pm on Tuesday, August 26. Maybe someone will remember driving past and seeing a vehicle,” he said.
“We’re very upset, we’ve had that cow for five years.”
He estimates the cow to have been worth about $2000.
The motherless calf has since been sold to some people with an available mother to take it.
East Gippsland Farm Crime Liaison Officer, Senior Constable Greg Coates, based at Bairnsdale, said the offender had committed a vast range of offences including criminal damage; using a firearm on private property without consent; using a firearm in a public place with reckless disregard, and damaging property.
It is also illegal to fly a drone at night, whether the operator has a pilot’s license or not.
“The overwhelming majority of firearm licence holders are very responsible and would be furious that such minorities are acting in a manner that is not fit and proper to hold a firearms licence,” Senior Constable Coates said.
He encouraged members of the public to report any suspicious activities or motor vehicles to police or Crimestoppers.
“People can also report any suspected illegal hunting to Police or Game Management Authority.
“This is a serious situation involving $2000 damage and using firearms in a dangerous manner. We are hoping someone can give us more information on this,” Senior Constable Coates said.
