- Utah officers monitor poaching during hunting season, highlighting recent illegal deer killing.
- Lt. Matt Briggs reports frequent poaching, including night shooting and illegal weapons use.
- 2024 saw 216 deer illegally killed; 2025 data pending, officers urge reporting wildlife crimes.
PROVO — In the middle of multiple hunting seasons in Utah, state law enforcement officers said Sunday they were on the lookout for evidence of poaching as they highlighted the damaging effects of a recent case.
According to officers with the Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Law Enforcement, some hunters recently went onto private property in southeastern Utah and shot a large buck, taking the head and best parts of the deer while leaving behind the rest to rot.
While officers said a tip led them to the suspected shooters — who were charged with multiple crimes and slapped with thousands of dollars in fines — they said poaching cases happen too often around the state.
"Currently, some of the cases we're investigating in the central region involve people shooting at night with a spotlight or the headlights of their vehicle, trespassing, using illegal weapons for the type of hunt," said Utah DNR Division of Law Enforcement Lt. Matt Briggs during an interview with KSL-TV.
Officers pointed to 2024 statistics that showed 216 deer, 140 elk, seven moose, four bison, five bears, 12 cougars, three bald eagles and 371 fish were killed illegally in Utah.
They said numbers for 2025 are still being compiled.
"It doesn't reflect well upon the rest of the hunting population," Briggs said. "They're stealing the opportunity from somebody else trying to do it the right way."
On Sunday afternoon, as any legal weapon deer hunting season was ending, Briggs toured a KSL-TV crew through Dairy Fork Canyon on the north end of the Manti hunting range.
(Poaching) doesn't reflect well upon the rest of the hunting population. (Poachers are) stealing the opportunity from somebody else trying to do it the right way.
–Lt. Matt Briggs, Utah DNR Division of Law Enforcement
He made contacts with multiple hunters, checking for safety and proper licensing, while also keeping an eye open for any signs of poaching in the area.
Other hunting seasons, including elk and waterfowl, remained in effect, and Briggs urged hunters to be careful while also urging anyone with information about wildlife crimes to report that info to the Utah DNR Division of Law Enforcement.
"Get out in the outdoors and enjoy it right," Briggs said. "A safe, enjoyable hunt is what I would want people to have."
