Two out-of-state deer hunters charged with illegally killing a trophy buck in southern Utah have been freed on bail, 6th Circuit Court officials said Thursday.
Larry Smith, 42, West Harrison, Ind., and Barrett Wynn, 30, Mancos, Colo., were arrested Sunday following a five-day investigation along the Utah-Arizona state line for suspected poachers, officials said.Lawmen from the Utah Wildlife Resources Division and the Kane County Sheriff's office stopped the suspects' pickup truck and found only the head of a very large trophy buck, said division spokesman Craig Miya. Miya estimated the animal's spread would bring between $10,000 and $20,000 on the black market.
Smith and Wynn are charged with unlawful possession of a deer taken out of season and with wasting the animal's carcass. Smith also is charged with possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle.
Smith was freed on $3,860 bond and Wynn on $3,800. If convicted on the wildlife charges, the suspects could be sentenced to up to two years in prison and fined up to $4,500 each.