Law enforcement
Posted Monday, 28 November 2011 15:58
WEBER COUNTY — On November 9, 2011, two counts of wanton destruction of protected wildlife were filed against an Ogden, Utah man for illegally killing two buck deer out of season.
The incident occurred on October 9 during the buck deer-bull elk combination hunt. The man allegedly shot a two-point buck on SR 39 in South Fork Canyon in Weber County. Wildlife Officers in the area contacted the man as he and his party dragged the deer to their vehicle, parked on the shoulder of the highway. When asked for his permit, the man said his permit was at his Ogden residence. The officers seized the deer and followed the man to his home.
At the residence, the man produced a blood-stained, detached and notched general season deer permit. The season did not begin until October 22. The notches for October 8 had been removed, causing officers to suspect that a deer had been killed the previous day. The man denied doing so and allowed the officers to search his residence. During the consensual search, nothing was found.
Upon closer inspection of the man's vehicle, blood was found on the rear bumper area. This led to additional questioning because the deer killed on October 9 was never placed in the man's truck.
Though the allegations were initially denied, one of the man's relatives eventually admitted that the had in fact killed two deer on successive days. Subsequently, the man admitted to killing two deer. It was later learned that the group had alerted the Ogden residence of the imminent arrival of wildlife officers and they were asked to take the partially processed deer to a neighbor's house.
Officers subsequently seized both deer and the rifle suspected to have been used in the violations. Charges have been filed with the Weber County Attorney's Office and the case is pending.
