Law enforcement
Posted Monday, 28 November 2011 15:58
CARBON COUNTY — On September 7, 2011, conservation officers with The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources were contacted by a concerned citizen regarding a suspicious situation near Scofield. The individual had observed a bull elk carcass being dragged with a small passenger car. The citizen did not obtain a license plate number so there was little information for officers to act upon beyond a simple vehicle description. Officers later received another complaint about a branch antlered bull elk that was illegally taken on a Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit (CWMU) in the Scofield area.
Shortly thereafter, messages began being posted on Internet forums about a vehicle traveling down Spanish Fork Canyon with a bull elk strapped to the trunk. Conservation officers recognized that the vehicle description matched that of the vehicle observed dragging the elk carcass in the earlier complaint.
During the muzzleloader deer hunt, Conservation Officer Devin Christensen contacted a group of individuals on North Skyline Drive who were familiar with the vehicle in question. In fact, they had obtained a cell phone photo which was a critical piece of evidence. Depicting a large bull elk strapped to the trunk of a small passenger car, the photo had been taken while driving down Spanish Fork Canyon. The photo had been circulated circulated on Internet with the caption, "Only in Utah".
Examination of the photo resulted in the identification of suspects, and subsequent investigative work resulted in an admission of guilt. Currently, three individuals face charges for their roles in the poaching incident.
The protection of Utah's wildlife is a cooperative effort between Utah conservation officers and the public they serve. This case, and others like it, demonstrate the importance of that team effort. Officers are stretched thin throughout the state, but armed with critical details such as license plate numbers, vehicle descriptions and specific locations, the likelihood of a successful investigation increase dramatically. Please do your part to protect wildlife, report wildlife crime to the UTiP hotline, 800-662-3337.
The attached photo provided the information necessary to identify suspects and bring this poaching case to a successful conclusion.
