2 men are charged in killings of 13 deer

Charges were filed in Provo's 4th District Court last week against two Utah County residents — Cory Brown and Kevin Cloward — for wanton destruction of protected wildlife, a third-degree felony and for killing 13 deer in Diamond Fork Canyon, located in Spanish Fork Canyon.

They were also charged with a misdemeanor for discharging a firearm from a vehicle.

The poaching incident occurred on April 9, 2005, when the two suspects allegedly went on a killing spree. Thirteen deer were shot and left to rot.

Information regarding several dead deer in Diamond Fork Canyon was received from a concerned citizen on the Division of Wildlife Resources' Help Stop Poaching Hotline on April 10.

After hearing of the poaching incident, several organizations — Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, the Mule Deer Foundation, the Utah Bowmen's Association, the Division of Wildlife Resources and Jake's Archery — offered combined reward money of $4,500 to help solve the case.

After distributing reward posters throughout the community, additional leads from the public assisted DWR conservation officers with the case over the following year. Search warrants were subsequently served on both of the suspects' residences.

The Help Stop Poaching Hotline has been a critical part of solving many wildlife poaching cases throughout Utah. Twenty-five to 30 percent of the poaching cases in Utah are generated by calls to the hotline. An average of 525 calls are received on the hotline every year.

The DWR hotline is 800-662-3337.