Since August 1, 104 wild animals have been killed illegally. Here's how you can fight poaching in Utah

DWR press release

SALT LAKE CITY — Several hunting seasons are in full swing, and rifle deer hunting — arguably the state's most popular hunting style — begins in Utah on Oct. 19. Conservation officers with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources are patrolling the state hard to protect wildlife and ensure hunters are following the law.

During early hunts this fall (from August 1 to September 9), conservation officers contacted approximately 9,900 people and checked the hunting and fishing licenses of approximately 3,600 people. During these interactions, officers discovered 104 illegally killed animals, including:

• Nine deer
• Six moose
• Two moose
• A bear
• A pronghorn antelope
• 60 fish
• 25 other protected wild animals

During this period, officers issued 849 citations. They will continue to investigate other identified wildlife-related violations and refer them to the courts.

“Hunters must know the laws, have a valid hunting license or combination license, and know what species and areas they are allowed to hunt with their permit before heading out into the field,” said DWR Captain Chad Bettridge.

From August 1 to September 9, conservation officers also received 201 tips through the various reporting tools, which are incredibly helpful in solving poaching cases. There are currently 53 DWR officers patrolling across Utah and they cannot be everywhere.

“We need your help,” Bettridge said. “Please keep your eyes and ears open and report any suspicious wildlife activity to us. The information you share will allow us to enforce wildlife protection laws that help protect wildlife and maintain healthy populations, as well as keep our recreational workers safe.”

Wildlife violations can occur year-round, but violations are typically highest during the fall hunting season. If you want to help fight illegal hunting in Utah, here are some things you should do:

Get a license plate

If you see someone who may be violating Utah's conservation laws, the license plate number is the most important information you can give conservation officers. If you can't get a license plate number, give the officer as much information as you can.

“The license plate number will lead us to the person so we can interview them and begin the investigation,” Bettridge said. “Other helpful details include the type and color of vehicle the person was driving, how many people were involved and a description of what you saw. And if you can give us a GPS coordinate, that can quickly lead us to the area where the possible violation occurred.”

Do not confront the individual

Do not confront anyone who may be committing a violation. Observe from a distance and note as many details as possible.

“We don't want anyone to be in danger or put in a situation where they feel uncomfortable,” Bettridge said. “Report what you saw and let us get in touch with them.”

Report the information to the DWR via one of its 4 channels

While reporting a wildlife violation in a Facebook message will ultimately reach a conservation officer, it is much more efficient and effective to use the right channels. Here are the different ways you can report illegal wildlife activity:

• Send the officers a text message to 847411.
• Call the Utah Turn-in-a-Poacher Hotline at 1-800-662-3337. (The UTiP Hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is the fastest way to report a wildlife violation.)
• Use the UTDWR Law Enforcement app.
• Report online through the DWR website, but contact with an officer may be limited with this option.

So far this year, officials have received 849 tips via various channels.

Another way to report wildlife violations is to call the nearest local police station. They will forward the information to the nearest wildlife officer. Local police station phone numbers can be found online. If you can't find these phone numbers, you can also call 911. However, you should only call the police if you are absolutely certain you have witnessed a poaching violation, cannot find the UTiP number, and feel the incident needs to be reported immediately.

“If you have a license plate but don't have cell reception, it's perfectly fine to wait and report the incident when you have better cell reception,” Bettridge said. “A license plate gives us a good starting point for our investigation.”

Do not call UTiP for information

Please note that the UTiP hotline is not an information hotline. Call it only to report possible poaching and other wildlife crimes.

“Every time our officers receive a UTiP call, they are required to file a follow-up report, even if it is not related to a wildlife crime,” Bettridge said. “Filing the report takes time that could have been spent fighting wildlife crime in Utah. Please only call the UTiP hotline to report wildlife crime. If you are simply looking for information, call the nearest DWR office.”