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SALT LAKE CITY -- The Division of Wildlife Resources is urging Utah hunters to be on the alert for suspicious activity after two poaching incidents occurred in northern Utah last month.
The first occurrence involved a hunter who is accused of shooting three mountain goats near Ben Lomond Peak, north of Ogden, on Sept. 10. The second involved a father and son who allegedly fired rifles into a herd of 60 pronghorn antelope on the Woodruff Wildlife Management Area in Rich County. Three bucks were killed in the incident.
The events were witnessed by sportsmen in both areas and reported to the DWR, which used the additional details to determine the charges that would be filed against the hunters.
The three hunters face third-degree felony charges, which carry a fine of up to $5,000 and a jail sentence of up to five years.
Think twice about pulling the trigger and the ramifications.
–Phil Douglass
The DWR asks Utahns to report suspicious activity in order to protect both wildlife and the experiences of other hunters. In some cases, poachers are jeopardizing the success of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for legal hunters. For example, a hunter may only draw a mountain-goat hunting license once.
"Wildlife belongs to everyone," said Phil Douglass, a DWR spokesman. "It's something a large percentage of our population feels strongly about."
Douglass reminded hunters of the risks they take when they break the law.
"People are watching," he said. "They value wildlife and want to see it protected. Think twice about pulling the trigger and the ramifications."
