Body of a deer carcass covered in snow and found along a roadway in Carbon County. Photo credit: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
PRICE, Utah — Someone, or a group of people, is killing deer and leaving them to waste in Carbon County.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) said that two female deer and one male deer were found in early December 2021. That’s when someone reported seeing two dead does on Porphyry Bench near Price. The deer had been shot with a .22-caliber firearm, their meat left to waste. Later, a 4X4 buck was found near the same area. The three killings are related, officials believe.
Investigators said the deer in Carbon County were shot and killed on the night of Dec. 8 or early the next day.
In 2021, Utah DWR officers confirmed 1,153 animals were illegally killed and valued at over $610,000.
The value of wildlife in Utah is outlined by state code and is used to determine restitution in cases of illegal poaching.
Anyone with information about these deaths or any wildlife-related crimes in Utah should call officials. The UTiP Hotline number is 1-800-662-3337. Wildlife officials can also be reached by texting the UTDWR Law Enforcement app at 847411 or online through the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website.