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SAN JUAN COUNTY — A 31-inch, 4x4 buck mule deer was illegally poached in San Juan County, and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is seeking the public's assistance in identifying those responsible.
The buck was found on March 10 by a Blanding resident who contacted DWR officers.
The poaching occurred southeast of the White Mesa Mill near the Black Mesa Butte Road. Although the deer was shot within the last few months, it did not die immediately. Evidence suggests that the deer may have lived two to four weeks before dying from its injuries.
The DWR is offering a reward of $1,500 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for illegally killing the deer.
However, this has not been the first poaching case in San Juan County. Four buck deer have been poached in Montezuma Canyon, a 7x7 bull elk poached on the Summit Point Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit (CWMU), and a 6x6 bull elk was poached on the Elk Ridge.
Several more active poaching cases have also taken place throughout the fall and winter of this year. Cow elk and doe deer have not been exempt from the poaching either. With the help of several concerned citizens, some of these cases have been investigated and prosecuted. One notable case involved individuals that killed several doe deer and left them to rot.
Poaching is a crime that affects hunters, wildlife watchers, and the general public. The San Juan County DWR is asking anyone with information to contact the UTIP Hotline at 800-662-3337. Information will be strictly confidential and a monetary reward is being offered for the information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
