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VERNAL, Utah (ABC4) — Utah wildlife officials are asking the public’s help in figuring out who killed a bull elk in Duchesne County, took the animal’s head and left much of the body to waste.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said Tuesday that the elk was killed sometime late last month in the Spring Hollow area, south of Highway 191. That’s roughly 120 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.

Wildlife officers found the elk’s body less than a mile from an area road. They determined parts of it were harvested with Havalon knives.

The person who shot the elk only took the head, some of the back straps, a hind quarter, and part of the second hind quarter,” DWR said, in a news release.

The rest of the animal, including the front quarter and tenderloins, was left to rot. The person who shot the deer also left their trash at the scene.

According to DWR, it is illegal to allow protected wildlife to be wasted. Doing so can result in a class B misdemeanor. That’s punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Utah wildlife officials say they are working to figure out who killed a bull elk in September of 2023, took the animal's head and left much of the body to waste. (credit: DWR)
Utah wildlife officials say they are working to figure out who killed a bull elk in September of 2023, took the animal’s head and left much of the body to waste. (credit: DWR)

Anyone with information on who shot the bull elk is encouraged to report it to DWR by calling 800-662-3337.