Buck deer killed at Hideout

Utah Department of Natural Resources law enforcement officers are seeking information from the public after a buck deer was illegally shot and killed within the city limits of Monticello in January.

A 16-inch wide 2x3 buck deer was shot within the city limits of Monticello around January 15. The animal was located near a walking trail between fairways in a wooded area at the Hideout Golf Course. A local who discovered it during a walk, informed local officers of the deer.

Upon further investigation, Natural Resources officers discovered the deer had been shot with an orange, metal crossbow bolt with a field tip, likely fired from a miniature, pistol-style crossbow — which is not a legal weapon type for harvesting big game animals.

There were no deer hunting seasons taking place at the time the deer was 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.

The individual involved in killing this deer could face a class A misdemeanor charge of wanton destruction of protected wildlife and waste of protected wildlife.

The Department of Natural Resources is asking that anyone with information regarding illegal killing of wildlife is encouraged to report by calling the UTiP Hotline at 800-662-3337, by texting 847411 or using the UTDWR Law Enforcement app.

Anyone with any information regarding the incident can also contact local Sgt. Devin Shirley at 801-592-0212. A reward may be available for information leading to the successful prosecution of those responsible. Requests for confidentiality are respected.