Wildlife official seeking public aid in poaching incident

Written by Mori Kessler
September 27, 2016
Mule deer are doing great in Utah. Surveys by DWR biologists peg the state's population at more than 384,000 deer. The number of bucks -- on general season units that are mostly public land -- averages 23 bucks per 100 does, Nov. 16, 2013, location unspecified | Photo by Brent Stettler, courtesy of Utah Division of Wildlife Resource, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – Wildlife officials are asking for the public’s help in a poaching case in Beaver County.

The remains of a 17-inch, 3×3 buck deer were found in a field just north of Beaver in late August. The incident was investigated by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers on Aug. 30, DWR officials said in a press release issued Tuesday.

This buck is believed to have been shot and left to waste around the end of August 2016, in a field near Beaver, Utah, August 2016 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, St. George News
This buck is believed to have been shot and left to waste around the end of August 2016, in a field near Beaver, Utah, August 2016 | Photo courtesy of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, St. George News

“During the investigation, the officers were able to locate tire tread marks that led up to, and then away from, the carcass,” the release states.

“It appears the buck was shot and then intentionally left to waste.”

The poaching is believed by officials to have occurred between Aug. 27 and 29.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials are seeking any information regarding the circumstances surrounding the shooting and wasting of the deer.

A reward may be available to anyone who provides information leading to the successful prosecution of the person, or people, responsible for this crime.

Anyone with information about this or any other wildlife violation is asked to contact the DWR law officials listed below, or call the Utah Turn in a Poacher (UTIP) hotline at 1-800-662-3337.

Officer Brandon White
[email protected]
435-310-0238

Lt. Paul Washburn
[email protected]
435-979-5920

The last poaching reported in Southern Utah occurred in Iron County in December 2015.

More recently in May and August of this year, cases of deer poaching were reported on the Arizona Strip.

While no arrests have been announced in these cases, an Iron County resident was arrested in August in connection with a 2015 poaching in Lincoln County, Nevada.

Over 200 deer were poached in Utah in 2015, according to the DWR.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mori Kessler serves as a Senior Reporter for St. George News, having previously contributed as a writer and Interim Editor in 2011-12, and an assistant editor from 2012 to mid-2014. He began writing news as a freelancer in 2009 for Today in Dixie, and joined the writing staff of St. George News in mid-2010. He enjoys photography and won an award for photojournalism from the Society of Professional Journalists for a 2018 photo of a bee inspector removing ferals bees from a Washington City home. He is also a shameless nerd and has a bad sense of direction.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @MoriKessler@STGnews

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7 Comments

  • mesaman September 27, 2016 at 8:19 pm

    Poachers are found at the very bottom of the food chain, right next to peophiles and democrats. If identified, they (the poachers) should be required to spend each rifle hunt for next 20 years watching reruns of the 2016 presidential debates.

    • Bob September 28, 2016 at 9:22 pm

      troll harder, old timer

    • .... September 29, 2016 at 11:31 am

      Really mesaman. ? You are waaaaaaaaaay out there on this one

  • .... September 27, 2016 at 9:23 pm

    This is a job for Sheriff anybody home of Mayberry and his side kick Deputy Bob

  • Real Life September 27, 2016 at 10:07 pm

    Poachers are scum on a level with pedophiles.

    • .... September 29, 2016 at 8:49 am

      So you’re saying their on your level ?

  • Common Sense September 28, 2016 at 7:19 am

    This is terrible. It is a sick individual who kills for fun.

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