Over a span of a couple of months this past winter, a group of Utah youths decided to go on a killing spree outside of Orangeville, killing at least 19 deer and wounding several others.
Using both rifles and vehicles to kill the deer, the four juveniles were finally convicted last week based on evidence gathered after the incidents which took place between December 2015 and January 2016. In each case, the animals were left to waste.
“The community helped out quite a bit with the investigation,” DWR Officer James Thomas told the Salt Lake Tribune. “A lot of the sportsmen came up and looked for deer that had been killed.
“They’re pretty passionate about wildlife, and a lot of people in the community wanted to help somehow.”
According to a press release by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the convictions are as follows:
One juvenile pled to one count of Wanton Destruction of Protected Wildlife, a 3rd degree felony; one count of Waste of Protected Wildlife, a class B misdemeanor; one count of Discharging a Firearm from a vehicle, class B misdemeanor; one count of Spotlighting, a class B misdemeanor; and one count of Aggravated Animal Cruelty, class A misdemeanor. He was ordered to Juvenile Detention and to pay at least $550 in fines and $6,000 in restitution to the Help Stop Poaching program. His rifle was seized by the state and all of his hunting, fishing and trapping privileges were suspended for 13 years.
A second juvenile pled to one count of Wanton Destruction of protected wildlife, a 3rd degree felony. He was ordered to Juvenile Detention and to pay at least $550 in fines and $1,200 in restitution to the Help Stop Poaching program. He also received seven years suspension of all hunting, fishing and furbearer licenses.
The third and fourth juveniles each pled to one count of Wanton Destruction of Protected Wildlife, a class A misdemeanor, and one count of Waste of Protected Wildlife, a class B misdemeanor. Each one was ordered to pay a fine and $400 in restitution to the Help Stop Poaching program and each received three years suspension of their big game hunting privileges.