Two hunters from out of state were busted after flying into Utah on a private helicopter and illegally killing bull elk on land managed by the state.
The Utah Department of Natural Resources said the hunters flew into a remote area in the eastern portion of the state, bypassing locked gates and boundaries marking private property.
The men were unaware they had landed on Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit (CMWU) land, which is private land opened to public hunting that helps protect wildlife habitats. According to Utah DNR, the general season Any Bull permits held by the hunters were not valid on the land.
Following a tip, officers with the DNR Division of Law Enforcement located the hunters after they had killed two bull elk within 75 yards of each other on the private CWMU land.
An investigation into the kill sites led to warrants being served out of state, and both men were convicted of Unlawful Take of Protected Wildlife and Taking Wildlife While Trespassing. The hunters paid "significant fines/restitution," according to Utah DNR officials, and face having their hunting licenses suspended.
