Vernal — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers are seeking information after a bull elk was killed and left to waste in Duchesne County sometime last month.

The bull elk was killed in the Spring Hollow Area south of Highway 191 in Duchesne County sometime around the week of Sept. 20. Officers responded to the area and discovered the animal less than a mile from the nearest road. The person who shot the elk only took the head, some of the back straps, a hind quarter and part of the second hind quarter. However, the rest of the animal — including the front quarter and tenderloins — was left to waste. The individual also left their trash at the scene.

Conservation officers determined the individual used Havalon knives to harvest some of the meat. It is illegal to allow protected wildlife to be wasted and can result in a class B misdemeanor.

Anyone with information regarding the illegal wasting 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:

If you have information regarding this specific incident, you can also contact Sgt. Jake Greenwood at 435-322-0599 or call the DWR Vernal office at 435-781-9453. A reward may be available for information leading to the successful prosecution of those responsible, and requests for confidentiality are respected.

Every year, Utah conservation officers conduct numerous investigations into the illegal killing of wildlife. In 2022, officers confirmed a total of 1,283 wild animals and fish were illegally killed, valued over $609,000.

• Sgt. Jake Greenwood
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  435-322-0599