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MONTICELLO — Natural resource investigators are asking for the public's help as they investigate a buck deer found dead at a golf course in southeast Utah last month.
Utah Department of Natural Resources conservation officers responded to a report of a dead buck at Hideout Golf Course in Monticello on Jan. 15. They found the deer by some trees and determined it had been hit by a metal crossbow bolt with a field tip, authorities said on Wednesday.
Investigators believe the deer was shot by someone using a pistol-style crossbow not allowed for big game hunting. In addition, deer hunting was not legal when the deer was likely killed.
"It did not appear that any attempt was made to harvest any of the meat from the deer, and it was left to waste," authorities added, in a statement.
Officers said the alleged offender would likely face charges of wanton destruction of protected wildlife and waste of protected wildlife, both class A misdemeanors. The crimes would have been elevated if the buck's antlers were trophy-size.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Utah Division of Law Enforcement at 800-662-3337, text 847411, or submit information through the division's online app.
Poaching in Utah dropped by 5% from 2023 to 2024, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources reported last month. However, officials said the number of big game animals, including deer, increased about 26%.
"With any species, it's frustrating, but, in particular, when we have been trying to increase our deer populations over the last couple of years, that is frustrating to see those numbers go up," Faith Heaton Jolley, a spokeswoman for the division said at the time.
