Utah
Utah wildlife officers investigate killing of deer that had ‘potential to become a trophy buck’
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KANAB — Utah wildlife conservation officers are asking for help as they investigate the illegal killing of a buck deer in southern Utah last month.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources opened the case on June 16 when an angler reported a dead deer they came across by a bank while fishing in the Kanab Creek area by the east fork of the Sevier River in Kane County. Investigators discovered the deer had been shot behind his left shoulder by what appeared to be a small caliber firearm.
Investigators believe the deer was killed sometime between June 10 and June 16, based on the condition of the deer carcass when it was discovered. It’s also possible that deer was killed in an area south of where it was found and carried by the river’s swift currents at the time, according to the division.
“The deer was still growing its antlers at the time it was killed, and it had the potential to become a trophy buck deer. Illegal activities like this rob hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts of the opportunity to enjoy this deer,” DWR conservation officer Wyatt Mecham said in a statement Monday.
Utah’s deer hunting season doesn’t begin until Aug. 19, which is the start of the archery hunt statewide. Division officials say anyone who may have information about the case should call the state’s anti-poaching hotline at 1-800-662-3337 or submit information through the division’s law enforcement app.
There were a little less than 1,300 animals illegally killed in Utah last year, including 179 deer.
Poaching cases vary in severity based on the type of animal killed. For instance, illegally killing a trophy deer — a buck with at least a 24-inch antler spread — can result in a third-degree felony case with a minimum restitution fee of $8,000, according to Utah law. Illegally killing a nontrophy deer can still result in a class A misdemeanor with a minimum restitution fee of $400.
A conviction can also result in someone losing their hunting and fishing privileges in Utah and all other members of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, which is every U.S. state besides Hawaii.