BUCKEYE — The poaching of a mule deer doe that was pregnant with two fawns is under investigation by the Arizona Game and Fish Department .
The deer and fawn carcasses were discovered in Game Management Unit 39 in the Buckeye Hills south of Buckeye. The carcasses were discarded along a dirt road that connects Gillespie Dam to Robbins Butte Game Road in the southwestern portion of the Buckeye Hills, south of the Powers Butte Wildlife Area.
Anyone with information about this case can call the AZGFD’s Operation Game Thief hotline at (800) 352-0700 and refer to case #20-002228. Callers can remain anonymous upon request and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,500 for information that leads to an arrest in this case through the Operation Game Thief program.
Officials believe the poaching took place in the overnight hours of July 18.
“The individuals involved killed not only one deer, but also two fawns,” said Ryan Randall, Arizona Game and Fish Department wildlife manager in a press release. “We rely heavily on the assistance of the public in coming forward with information, and we are hopeful that a tip could lead us to those responsible for this heinous criminal act. This is a horrible waste of the state’s most precious resource, its wildlife.”
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