On Thursday, November 10, 2022, conservation officers from the Magic Valley Region received a report of a mule deer buck that was found dead lying next to a BLM road in Lincoln County. The deer was found on the eastside of Black Butte in Unit 52 which had an open controlled muzzleloader hunt at the time of the discovery.

When found, the carcass was intact, with no effort made to harvest any meat from the deer.

Mule deer buck left to waste in Unit 52 near Black Butte

During their investigation, officers confirmed that the deer had been shot by a muzzleloader. It is suspected that the deer had been shot in the evening hours of November 9 or early on the morning of November 10.

“We don’t have much information to go on about this incident” said Conservation Officer Cody Smith, “which is why we ask the public for their assistance. Often someone knows or hears something that can help us understand the circumstances surrounding the killing, and in this case, waste of game.”

Anyone with information about this incident are asked to contact District Conservation Officer Alex Head at (208) 320-8877 or Conservation Officer Cody Smith at (208) 539-4416. Information can also be given by calling the Citizens Against Poaching hotline at 1-800-632-5999.