EMERY COUNTY, Utah, March 19, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is asking the public for information after two Emery County cases this year in which a cow elk and 18 Canada geese found dead and left to waste.
In the first incident, DWR conservation officers received a report on Feb. 10 of a dead cow elk that had been discarded in an area between the power plant and the solar fields near Huntington in Emery County, a statement from the agency says.
“The elk had been skinned and quartered, but none of the meat was harvested except for the backstraps. The rest of the meat had been left to waste.”
There was a cow elk hunt that went until Jan. 31, so it is possible the elk was legally harvested during that hunt. However, the meat had been left to waste, which is illegal.
In the second incident, also discovered this year, officers received multiple reports of dead geese that were found dumped in various locations near Lawrence and Huntington in Emery County. Some of the 18 geese were located on the ground and some were found hanging on fences and trees. Most of the geese had the majority of their breast feathers plucked, exposing their bellies, but none of the meat had been harvested.
Officers believe the geese were harvested during the 2023-24 waterfowl hunting season, but then were illegally wasted.
“It is illegal to allow protected wildlife to be wasted and can result in a class B misdemeanor,” the statement says.
Anyone with information regarding the illegal killing of this elk and geese, 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 Aidan Hueton at 435-650-1113. 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 over $619,000.
