DWR officers seek information about cow elk, 18 geese found dead in Emery County
Mar 19, 2024, 12:40 PM | Updated: Mar 20, 2024, 3:55 pm
The Utah Department of Wildlife Resources says a cow elk and 18 Canada geese have been found dead and left to waste in Emery County. (Utah Division of Wildlife Resources)
(Utah Division of Wildlife Resources)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Wildlife Resources says a cow elk and 18 Canada geese have been found dead and left to waste in Emery County.
Conservation officers are now seeking the public’s assistance regarding information in the two separate cases.
On Feb. 10, the DWR was notified of a dead cow elk that had been found in the Huntington area between the power plant and solar fields. According to a news release, the animal had been skinned and quartered. However, most of the meat was left to waste except for the backstraps.
Cow elk
The DWR said there was a cow elk hunt in the area that ended Jan. 31.
“So it is possible the elk was legally harvested during that hunt. However, the meat had been left to waste, which is illegal,” the release stated.
In the second case, the DWR said 18 dead geese were found dumped in several locations near Huntington and Lawrence. The dead geese were found on the ground and hanging from fences and trees. According to the DWR, a majority of the geese had most of their breast feathers plucked. However, none of the meat had been harvested.
The DWR believes the geese were legally taken during the 2023-24 waterfowl hunting season. However, the birds were illegally wasted.
According to the DWR, allowing protected wildlife to be left to waste can result in a class B misdemeanor.
How to report a crime against wildlife
Anyone with information regarding either one of these two cases is asked to contact the DWR in one of the following ways.
- Call the UTiP Hotline at 800-662-3337
- Use the UTDWR Law Enforcement app
- Text to 847411
- Online through the DWR website
A reward may be available for information that leads to the successful prosecution of those responsible. Additionally, individuals providing tips can remain anonymous.
Last week, the DWR announced it was investigating four mule deer that were left to waste during the 2023 fall hunting season. And earlier this year, the DWR reported two deer were illegally killed in Tooele County.
DWR officers seeking information on two deer illegally killed in Tooele County
