SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has recently launched a new survey that allows people to report “deadheads,” which are skulls of big game animals that still have their antlers or horns attached. The new survey is reportedly part of DWR’s efforts to increase efficiency and improve public responsiveness.

It is illegal to pick up “deadheads” without a possession license according to DWR officials. Sometimes Utahns will stumble upon antlers or horns that are still attached to the skulls of animals that are illegally killed. In those cases, conservation officers will need to collect the animal as evidence. If the animal was determined to have died of natural causes, the person who made the report will often get to keep the antlers.

“We get a lot of calls and tips about deadheads, and our officers spend a significant amount of time investigating these reports to see if the animal was poached,” said DWR Investigations Capt. Wade Hovinga. “Often, these animals are difficult to access, and it takes time to get to the area and to obtain the location details from the reporting party. This new app will help people quickly report these deadheads and include all the necessary information, which will make it more efficient to investigate these cases.”

The Utah Deadhead Reporter Survey can be filled out through the ArcGIS Survey123 app, which is available to download on both iPhone and Android devices. Users will need a DWR customer ID to submit a form. If you don’t have one, contact a DWR office to create one. After that, the deadhead reporting survey can be downloaded in the app with this link.

If the animal was killed in a vehiclular collision, the incident should be reported to the Utah Roadkill Reporter App instead.