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Editor's Note: The photo gallery contains images of dead deer that may be disturbing to some viewers.SALT LAKE CITY — Two does and four buck mule deer were poached and left to waste in several areas throughout Utah, and Division of Wildlife Resources officials are seeking information about the incidents.
The first poaching incident was reported on Oct. 26 when a dead two-point buck was found near the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in Davis County, according to a DWR news release. DWR officers responded to the scene and discovered the deer hanging in a tree.
The front quarters of the deer and the antlers were fully intact and the back half of the deer had been taken, the news release said. DWR investigators discovered a gunshot wound just below the deer’s ears, and the animal’s throat had been cut.
The second poaching case was reported through the UTIP hotline on Nov. 9 near the Lower Provo River Road in Summit County. When DWR officers responded to the scene, they located a buck lying dead along the road and further investigation showed the deer had been shot with an arrow.
Officers responded to another poaching incident in Summit County on Nov. 14. A small mule deer buck was located in the Canyon Trails housing development near Highway 248. It was determined the buck had been shot. The two poaching cases in Summit County were not believed to be connected, the news release said.
On Nov. 11, DWR officials received another tip about a poaching case in a Cedar City residential area. Two does were located near Greenslake Drive in the foothills known as “The Dikes.” Both deer were killed with archery equipment and no meat had been removed, the news release said.
Anyone with information regarding the illegal killing of these deer can contact the UTIP hotline at 1-800-662-3337.
Upon further investigation, a dead 4X4 buck was also discovered in the area. The buck had also been shot with archery equipment and left to waste. DWR officials believe all three deer were killed within the city limits sometime between Nov. 4-10. The deer were killed during the breeding season “when deer are often less wary of people and extremely vulnerable to poaching,” the news release said.
Anyone with information regarding the illegal killing of these deer can contact the UTIP hotline at 1-800-662-3337. Rewards are available for information leading to the arrests of the poachers, and tipsters can remain anonymous.
DWR officials reported during September and October, 289 game animals and fish were illegally killed, with an aggregate value of over $301,000.
