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LAKETOWN, Rich County — State conservation officers are asking for the public’s help in identifying who killed a bull moose with a bow and arrow in Rich County late last month.
The moose’s carcass was found on July 30 a few yards from a road not far from Bug Lake, which is located less than 20 miles southwest of Laketown and Bear Lake, according to Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials. After performing a necropsy, it was determined the moose was shot with what appeared to be a broadhead arrow.
DWR officials say the incident likely happened sometime between July 26 and July 28. The state does have bull moose hunts but the general hunting season for the animal begins on Sept. 1 and requires a permit, according to its website, thus making this a poaching case.
Dakota Pray, a DWR conservation officer, said some evidence was collected at the scene to possibly tie to an individual or individuals responsible. The agency is asking anyone who may have any information about the poaching case to call its UTiP Hotline at 1-800-662-3337, the conservation officer overseeing the case at 385-245-0470, or report it on DWR's website. DWR officials say they will respect any requests to remain anonymous.
The punishment for poaching in Utah ranges in severity based on the animal killed and various other factors. According to the state’s statute, killing a trophy moose comes with a minimum restitution fee of $6,000, while all other moose carry a minimum restitution fee of $1,000. The antler size determines if it is a trophy animal, which is also a felony-level case. Pray said the case in Rich County qualifies as a felony-level case because the moose's antlers were larger than 5 inches.
In either situation, a person convicted of poaching can face additional fines and lose hunting privileges in the state and other members of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, which currently includes all U.S. states aside from Hawaii.
In April and May, the state stripped hunting privileges for five Utahns in relation to poaching cases in 2019. Four other Utahns lost privileges due to recent poaching cases, DWR officials determined during a meeting in June.
