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Show . 1 :. I "... , 4 " A PARK WEST SKIER enjoying Utah's powdery snow on Bronco Run. one of 3? atfte , Poachers Slaughter Utah Deer Poachers are killing and wasting thousands of big game animals each year in Utah. Poaching is a serious year-round threat to all Utah's wildlife, but the mule deer is the hardest hit. With the recent heavy snow, Division of Wildlife Resources officers expect deer poaching to increase because the deer are being pushed down into areas more accessible to people. In at least one neighboring state, studies have indicated deer poaching exceeds the annual legal harvest. har-vest. Jim Ware, Division law enforcement en-forcement chief, does not know if this is the case in Utah. However, it is estimated Utah may lose up to 40,000 deer to poachers each year. "Sportsmen should be alarmed about this problem, and should be concerned enough to report incidences of poaching or any evidence of illegal wildlife activity," says Ware. The public's cooperation is absolutely ab-solutely essential in helping to reduce poaching activities in Utah. It is impossible for a conservation officer of-ficer to adequately patrol his district against poachers.. With varied responsibilities for wildlife, a conservation con-servation officer is able to spend only about 20 percent of his time in law enforcement patrol. The Division is short of officers, and some districts have been left completely unattended. In the Northeastern Region, officers were able to arrest more deer poachers last year only by working many long night hours, according to Clair Davis, regional law enforcement officer. of-ficer. Clark Warren, law enforcement officer in the Southeastern Region, says officers often get reports of deer hanging in camps. By the time they arrive, the deer are gone. Two years ago, the Northern Region initiated a campaign to encourage the public to report wildlife violations. Today, 80 to 85 percent of the arrests made for poachil the Northern p'U come from the J V notifying the Dii-3 ' according to Woodbury, regiort enforcement office encourages persor. report aU inform! f paticularly license-numbers, license-numbers, and' number of peoplt volved in the iot Poaching maj reported to any enforcement agent Timing is also' portant. "If the k. is six weeks old, : difficult to mal: case," says Dt: Atkinson, regions; enforcement office ; the Central Region There is "bigm in commeti poaching, says Elswood, law forcement spec:; Poaching t: slaughter large : bers of deer in L Commercial p.W are not selective, will take pregnaci and fawns. Many they will not eveo out a deer, tw simply cut off the and hindquarters a leave the rest tospi f Since deer poach t only a misdeits; commercial pedj-' usually only get J fines when caugi: Elswood. Comcri . poachers say they J' enough in a week f days of poaching: ll for the fine. Tali domestic animal ill" felony; believes deer pc;L shouldbemadeal also. The Division reward prograii information leai-W' the arrest and f) viction of poackV the future, it t, have a toll free t "J reporting any violations. ft |