Luke Bryan's red stag shot, killed on his Tennessee farm property; investigation underway

Authorities are investigating the killing of a red stag owned by country music star Luke Bryan on his private property in Maury County.

The animal was apparently shot from the road, according to Barry Cross of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. A $5,000 reward has been offered by the Maury County Sheriff's Office for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.

Red stags are not native to the U.S., and Bryan would have needed to bring the animal to the farm, Cross said. The animal is a species of deer with similar characteristics to an elk, Cross said.

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The shooting took place between evening of Dec. 4 and the early morning of Dec. 6, according to a bulletin by the Maury County Sheriff's Office.

The shooting was reported by Bryan’s farm manager, Cross said.

"As an agency we appreciate our hunters who do the right thing and follow the bylaws, and it takes a second for someone to ruin it for all of us," Cross said.

Efforts to reach representatives for Bryan were not immediately successful.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Luke Bryan's red stag deer shot, killed on his Tennessee farm