Over 1,000 fish and wildlife illegally killed in Utah in 2024

Salt Lake City — A total of 1,007 wild animals and fish were illegally killed and investigated by Utah Division of Law Enforcement conservation officers in Utah in 2024, a slight decrease from the number illegally killed in 2023.

Some of the animals illegally killed included:

• 216 deer, 12 of which were classified as "trophy" animals
• 140 elk, 20 of which were classified as "trophy" animals
• Seven moose
• Four bison
• Five bears
• 12 cougars
• Three bald eagles
• 371 fish

The remaining illegally killed wildlife included small game mammals, waterfowl, raptors, and a variety of other wildlife species.

Here's a look at the number of animals illegally killed in Utah over the past few years:

• 2023: 1,056 wild animals
• 2022: 1,283 wild animals
• 2021: 1,153 animals
• 2020: 1,079 animals
• 2019: 1,065 animals

A total of 6,436 violations were detected in 2024, and of those, 1,474 citations were issued. Officers contacted more than 32,000 people in 2024. Last year, individuals were most often cited for fishing or hunting without a valid license.

In 2024, 46 people had their hunting or fishing privileges suspended in Utah, compared to:

• 46 suspensions in 2023
• 66 suspensions in 2022
• 54 suspensions in 2021
• 35 suspensions in 2020
• 84 suspensions in 2019

Utah is a member state of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. License suspensions in Utah are recognized in all the other states in the U.S., except Hawaii.

"Each animal that is illegally killed in Utah is one less animal for legal hunters, wildlife enthusiasts and everyday residents to enjoy," Utah Division of Law Enforcement Lt. Casey Mickelsen said. "Poachers steal these precious resources from the law-abiding citizens of our State and hurt our ability to enjoy Utah's wildlife."

There are currently five K-9 officers in the DWR that help investigate a variety of wildlife cases. They locate wildlife that were illegally killed, find discarded or hidden evidence and assist with many other tasks. In 2024, DWR’s K-9 officers helped investigate 120 cases throughout the state.

Here are the various ways you can report illegal or suspicious wildlife activities:

• Call the Utah Turn-in-a-Poacher hotline at 800-662-3337. (The UTiP hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is the quickest way to report a wildlife violation.)
• Use the UTDWR Law Enforcement app.
• Text officers at 847411.
• Report online through the DWR website.

The text option was implemented in 2021, and last year, 1,649 tips were either texted to officers through the app or called in through the hotline, many of which resulted in successful investigations and prosecutions of wildlife-related crimes.

"Our officers each patrol roughly 2,000 square miles and can't be everywhere at once," Mickelsen said. "We rely heavily on help from the public to catch wildlife violators, and many of our 'biggest' cases each year come from tips received from the public. We want to thank those folks that assist us everyday in doing our jobs more effectively by reporting wildlife violations to us. We wouldn't be as successful in our jobs without you. Please keep your eyes and ears open and report any suspicious wildlife-related activity. Working together, we can enforce wildlife laws to maintain healthy populations, and to also keep those recreating outdoors safe."

Not all wildlife violations are committed intentionally. To learn about common illegal hunting and fishing mistakes, visit the DWR website.