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ESCALANTE, Garfield County — State wildlife officials are asking for the public’s help regarding an illegally killed bull elk near state Route 12 in southern Utah. The case adds to the list of more than 100 large animals poached across the state since Aug. 1.
According to the Division of Wildlife Resources officials, a bull elk was shot and killed near the highway, about 3 miles west of a road that turns to Allens Canyon and about 9 miles west of Escalante, sometime between Oct. 19 and Oct. 22. Officials believe the individual or individuals who shot the elk likely shot from the highway and then made U-turn to flee the area.
They added there weren’t any active bull elk hunts in the area at the time the elk was killed. Anyone with information about the elk killing is encouraged to call the division’s poaching information hotline at 1-800-622-3337. Wildlife resource authorities will honor any requests for confidentiality, officials said.
Officials added a monetary reward may be available for anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case.
Earlier this month, DWR officials announced they had dealt with 102 large animal poaching cases between Aug. 1 and Oct. 13.
“Hunters need to take the responsibility of knowing the law, having a current hunting or combination license, and knowing what species and areas their permits allow them to hunt,” DWR Capt. Justin Shirley said in a statement on Oct. 16.
The agency recommends that anyone who spots possible illegal hunting activity should get the license plate of the vehicle they see, as well as a description of what they saw and where they were when they saw it.
