NEWS RELEASE
Nov. 13, 2024
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is seeking information about the poaching of a mule deer buck in Game Management Unit 11M off Hutton Ranch Road near O’Neill Crater.
An investigation has revealed that the mule deer buck was shot with a firearm at a popular shooting area located off Hutton Ranch Road near Forest Service Road 511. The poacher shot and paralyzed the buck, leaving it to suffer for several hours before wildlife managers arrived at the scene. AZGFD officials believe the incident took place the morning of Nov. 11.
“Assistance from the public will play a critical role in solving this case,” says Wildlife Manager Colby Walton. “Poaching isn’t just a crime. It’s a waste of the state’s most precious resource, its wildlife. It is important for anyone with information to come forward and help Game and Fish bring those responsible to justice.”
Anyone with information about this case can call the AZGFD’s Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-352-0700 and refer to case #24-003185.
Callers can remain anonymous upon request and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest in this case through the Operation Game Thief program.
For a map of the area where the poaching took place, visit https://app.robly.com/archive?id=a89b29b9aa09d81671bdd17f1b10dbc7&v=true.