PECOS – The Department of Game and Fish is looking for information that would assist in solving a case in which a female (doe) mule deer was shot and killed and left to rot.
A concerned citizen contacted Officer Nygren and reported finding the doe that had been shot off Forest Road 646 above the Davis Willow Campground.
The initial investigation revealed the doe carcass twenty yards from the road with blood drips from the ear and nose and small holes in the hide. Officer Nygren skinned the carcass and found shotgun pellets underneath the skin and determined the doe was shot by someone using a shotgun and birdshot.
The doe was shot from the road multiple times; wounds were located around the head and behind the front shoulder. Based upon the condition of the carcasses and decomposition it is believed to have been killed sometime around the weekend of October 3rd through 13th, The deer was left to waste and no portions of the meat were salvageable.
The unlawful killing of this doe has just killed several generations of potential offspring. There is no open season for Doe Mule Deer hunting in GMU 45; however this area is a popular location for grouse and squirrel hunting which may lead to the suspects.
Anyone with information about this incident can contact Officer Nygren at 505-250-4221 or file a report 24/7 online or call Operation Game Thief 1-800 432-4263. The Department offers cash rewards for information that lead to charges being filed. Callers remain anonymous and could receive $500.