Amateur Archers Arrested for Illegally Hunting Goats with Bows in Busan Hills

An arrow used to hunt black goats being free-ranged by local residents. (Photo courtesy of Busan Gangseo Police Station)

BUSAN, July 28 (Korea Bizwire) — A group of amateur archery enthusiasts in South Korea have been arrested for illegally hunting black goats with compound bows in a rural area of Busan, authorities announced Monday.

The Busan Gangseo Police Department said it had detained nine members of an archery club and two members of a government-designated wildlife control team on charges including habitual theft and violation of the Animal Protection Act.

According to investigators, the group hunted a total of 14 black goats between April 2023 and April 2024 in the mountainous areas near Gaetbeol and Oepo Port in Busan’s Gangseo District. The goats had been raised freely in the hills by two local residents, who had constructed shelters and maintained the animals as livestock.

The archery club members reportedly used recreational compound bows — which are not regulated under Korea’s firearms and blades law — and modified their arrowheads to increase lethality. They hunted in teams, shared the meat among themselves, and coordinated their activities over an extended period.

black goats (Image courtesy of Yonhap)

The two wildlife control agents, who were originally authorized to hunt wild boars and other designated pests, allegedly used snares to capture some of the goats. During one incident, a suspect was caught slaughtering a goat and attempted to flee by scaling a cliff or swimming along the coastline.

Police said they suspect additional offenses and are expanding their investigation. “Given the nature of the crimes, the suspects’ use of phones, the number of participants, and their past records, we believe more illegal activity may have occurred,” a police official stated.

The case has sparked concern about regulatory blind spots in the use of recreational hunting equipment and the protection of free-range livestock in semi-wild areas.

Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)