State wildlife officials say poachers killed several deer in northwestern Montana early last month.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks warden Chris Crane says an investigation into the poaching of eight deer in the Whitefish region has led to a suspect being cited in a separate poaching case near Bigfork, where a cow elk and two deer were illegally killed several months ago.
Crane says all of the deer were killed after dark and the two cases are believed to be connected.
In the most recent case, poachers used a small-caliber rifle to kill eight deer at different times during the first two weeks of August. Crane says the animal carcasses were left behind, though the some of the heads were taken.