LOGAN – A total of 216 deer (12 of which were classified as trophy animals) and 140 elk (20 of which were trophy animals) were illegally killed in 2024, reported conservation officers from the Utah Division of Law Enforcement.
Those elk and deer were only part of the 1,007 wild animals and fish illegally killed last year, a slight decrease from the number illegally killed in 2023.
Some of the other animals illegally killed included:
- Seven moose
- Four bison
- Five bears
- 12 cougars
- Three bald eagles
- 371 fish
The remaining illegally killed wildlife included small game mammals, waterfowl, raptors, and a variety of other wildlife species.
Officers contacted more than 32,000 people to find a total of 6,436 violations and issued 1,474 citations. Individuals were most often cited for fishing or hunting without a valid license.
In 2024, 46 people had their hunting or fishing privileges suspended in Utah, the same as in 2023.
License suspensions in Utah are recognized in all the other states in the U.S., except Hawaii because the Beehive State is a member of the interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
“Each animal that is illegally killed in Utah is one less animal for legal hunters, wildlife enthusiasts and every day residents to enjoy,” Utah Division of Law Enforcement Lt. Casey Mickelsen said. “Poachers steal these precious resources from the law-abiding citizens of our State and hurt our ability to enjoy Utah’s wildlife.”
Law enforcement officers each patrol roughly 2,000 square miles and can’t be everywhere at once, they rely on help from the public to help catch wildlife violators.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources have also employed five K-9 officers to help investigate a variety of wildlife cases. They locate wildlife that were illegally killed, find discarded or hidden evidence and assist with many other tasks. In 2024, those K-9 officers helped investigate 120 cases throughout the state.
“Many of our ‘biggest’ cases each year come from tips received from the public,” Mickelsen said. “We want to thank those folks that assist us every day in doing our job.”
Here are the various ways people can report illegal or suspicious wildlife activities:
The text option was implemented in 2021, and last year 1,649 tips were either texted to officers through the app or called in through the hotline, many of which resulted in successful investigations and prosecutions of wildlife-related crimes.
“Please keep your eyes and ears open and report any suspicious wildlife-related activity,” he said. “Working together, we can enforce wildlife laws to maintain healthy populations, and to also keep those recreating outdoors safe.”
DWR wants to let the public know not all wildlife violations are committed intentionally. To learn about common illegal hunting and fishing mistakes, visit the DWR website.