2 deer poached near Southern Utah home

2 deer poached near Southern Utah home

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NEW HARMONY — Division of Wildlife Resources officers are looking for possibly two people who poached two buck deer earlier this week.

Around 7 a.m. Monday, a red or maroon lifted pickup truck stopped in front of a home, just east of I-15 Exit 42 in New Harmony and shot two buck deer dead on the residential property. Without making an attempt to recover the dead animals, the truck drove away, DWR Iron County Conservation Officer Josh Carver said.

Witnesses said they heard three shots and a newer model four-door Dodge or Chevrolet truck drove away, Carver said. One witness saw gun barrels from the window of the vehicle, which was parked about 600 feet away from the home. The deer were shot just north of the residence.

“The number one concern we have is public safety. One of those rifles could penetrate through the deer, through the house and continue on. Even a house is no match for a bullet of that caliber going through. Most of these rifles people are shooting are pretty high caliber,” Carver said. “It could have killed somebody.”

Have information?
DWR is looking for a truck fitting the following description:
  • Four-door
  • Lifted with large tires
  • Dodge or Chevrolet make
  • Year 2000 model or newer
Contact the DWR poaching hotline at -800-662-3337 or by filling out a report online.

DWR believes there were at least two shooters involved in the crime.

Carver said public safety and the alleged poachers’ recklessness is the DWR’s first concern, but he is also concerned about the perception of hunters after a crime like this.

“From the DWR’s perspective, it gives hunters a bad name when people are willing to (poach a deer). They’re willing to put someone in a jeopardized situation and endanger somebody’s life because of a deer,” Carver said. “But in this case here, they didn’t even attempt to recover the deer and this was probably just shot for more fun than anything.”

Carver said the deer meat was likely donated to a family in need.

Anyone with information can contact the DWR poaching hotline at 1-800-662-3337 or by filling out a report online.

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Celeste Tholen Rosenlof

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