Conservation officers believe the moose was killed Sept. 2.
Officials said the animal was found in an area where it wouldn’t be difficult to locate and retrieve it. But it appeared no attempts have been made to salvage any of the meat and the moose has been left to waste.
DWR Lt. Casey Mickelson said the agency learned of the animal’s death from a GPS collar signal.
“This particular cow was part of the Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative,” he said.
Over 2,300 animals around the state have GPS collars to help scientists learn more about their habits. Once an animal dies, the collar alerts the DWR.
“When they went in to take a look at the moose, the biologists could tell that it had been shot with archery equipment,” Mickelson said.
It’s not illegal to kill animals with tracking collars; Mickelson said it helps scientists gather data about how animal populations are affected by hunting.
However, this cow moose’s death was against the law. Utah’s bull moose hunt is currently underway, but the antlerless cow moose hunt doesn’t begin until Sept. 21. It's also illegal to leave an animal to waste.
Poaching a moose is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.
The DWR asks anyone with information about the illegal killing of the moose, or any other poaching incidents, to make a report.
