DWR News Release
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers are seeking information after an individual dumped a bull elk and left it to waste in Morgan County. The bull elk was located at a pull-off on the east side of Highway 167 (Trapper’s Loop Road) about a mile north of the Trapper’s Pointe Subdivision.
On Nov. 1, an individual reported seeing a male pull pieces of a quartered elk carcass out of the bed of a white, GMC pickup truck and then throw the meat onto the ground where it couldn’t be easily seen from the roadway. The male individual also dumped the head of the elk. Investigating conservation officers discovered that the four quartered pieces of the elk carcass still had all the meat intact, and there wasn’t an indication that the person attempted to utilize any of the meat. It appears the only thing that was kept was the skull capped antlers from the bull elk.
“Waste of wildlife is a serious crime,” DWR Conservation Officer Jonathan Moser said. “Many people hunt specifically to use the meat to feed their family, so when one person completely wastes the meat and just wants a ‘trophy’ from the animal, it can undermine public support for hunting as a wholesome recreational activity and important wildlife management tool.”
Conservation officers believe the elk may have been harvested during the general-season any bull elk hunt and then dumped later.
Anyone with information regarding the killing of this elk, or any other wildlife-related crimes in Utah, is encouraged to report it to DWR conservation officers in one of the following ways:
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By calling the UTiP Hotline at (800) 662-3337
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By texting 847411
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Online through the DWR website
If you have information about this specific case, you can also contact DWR Conservation Officer Jonathan Moser at (801) 710-8517. Rewards are available, and requests for confidentiality are respected.
Every year, Utah conservation officers conduct numerous investigations into the illegal killing of wildlife. In 2021, officers confirmed 1,153 animals were illegally killed valued over $610,000.