UTAH COUNTY, March 11, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers are asking the public for information about four buck deer that were illegally killed and left to waste in Utah County during last fall’s hunting season.
All four deer were killed in September or October in the Woodland Hills area of Utah County, a DWR news release says.
“In each case, the heads were removed from each deer, and the rest of the meat was left to waste. DWR officers believe the incidents could be related or possibly be the same individual responsible for killing all four deer,” it says.
Officers believe that one of the poaching incidents took place between noon on Oct. 2 and 6:45 a.m. on Oct. 3. Investigators found the deer near 11200 S. Street in Woodland Hills. It was determined that a rifle was used to shoot and kill the buck deer in that incident. During that time frame, the muzzleloader hunt was taking place, making the use of a rifle illegal. That particular area where the deer was killed is also closed to hunting.
“Individuals who unlawfully kill big game animals and other wildlife are stealing opportunities from those who might otherwise harvest the animal lawfully in the future and who need the meat,” said DWR Conservation Officer Daniel Clancy in the news release.
“We had some leads at the time we began investigating these incidents, but those have not yielded results. So we are asking for the public’s help in providing any information about these four poaching incidents.”
It is illegal to allow protected wildlife to be wasted and can result in a class B misdemeanor, the DWR statement says.
Anyone with information regarding the illegal killing of these deer, or any other wildlife-related crimes in Utah, is encouraged to report it to DWR conservation officers in one of the following ways:
- By calling the UTiP Hotline at 800-662-3337
- The UTDWR Law Enforcement app
- By texting 847411
- Online through the DWR website; however, contact with an officer may be limited with this option
If you have any information regarding this specific case, you can also contact Officer Clancy at 385-289-4023. A reward may be available for information leading to the successful prosecution of those responsible. Requests for confidentiality are respected.
Every year, Utah conservation officers conduct numerous investigations into the illegal killing of wildlife. In 2023, officers confirmed a total of 1,056 wild animals and fish were illegally killed, valued at more than $619,000.
