Antlers, furs of illegally killed Utah wildlife to be auctioned to raise money for conservation

Salt Lake City — An auction will be held later this month to sell hundreds of antlers and furs that Utah Department of Natural Resources law enforcement officers have seized during poaching investigations, or otherwise obtained possession of, during the past three years.

Many of the items in the auction were seized as evidence during poaching investigations, and the individuals were court ordered to forfeit the items. Some of the antlers were also taken from animals that were hit and killed by vehicles or from big game animals that died because of harsh weather conditions during the 2022-23 winter. All of the money raised from the auction goes toward funding wildlife conservation in Utah.

A public preview for the auction will be held on Wednesday, March 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at JJ Kane Auctions at 2353 N. Redwood Road in Salt Lake City. The public is invited to do a walk-through to see the hundreds of antlers, dozens of furs and various other items — including some forfeited bows and traps — that will be auctioned.

The auction will be held online on the JJ Kane website on March 27. Anyone interested in bidding on an item must create an account on the JJ Kane website prior to the start of the auction.

"These auctions have been happening for several decades and are typically held every four years," Utah Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division Lt. David Beveridge said. "The auctions give people the opportunity to obtain a public resource that was either illegally killed or died of other causes. The funds raised from these auctions go back toward wildlife conservation. The last antler auction was held in 2022."

The antlers will be sold by "lot," which may consist of one set of trophy-sized antlers or numerous small sets of antlers. Some of the antlers are individual antlers, but most are attached to a skull. Many of the antlers are from deer and elk, but there are also antlers and horns from moose and pronghorn.

"It is quite a sight to see all of these antlers, but the sad reality is that the majority of them are from illegally killed animals," Beveridge said. "Poaching steals that opportunity away from law-abiding hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts to enjoy these animals. On average, each of our Natural Resources officers covers around 2,000 square miles in their patrol area. When people provide information about illegal wildlife activities, we can catch suspects faster and more efficiently enforce the state's wildlife laws, which help to maintain healthy wildlife populations for future generations to enjoy."