This juvenile barn owl was shot with a blow dart gun while in a nest near Meadow, Utah.

A juvenile barn owl with dart being removed.

MILLARD COUNTY —






On August 23, 2012, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Conservation Officer Kody Jones received a report that owls had been shot with a dart gun.

Officer Jones subsequently located the nest near Center Street and the I-15 overpass in Meadow, Utah. Officer Jones found that several young owls had been injured. One of the birds was captured and taken to a local veterinarian where a dart was removed. The owl is making a great recovery and will be returned to the wild as soon as it is old enough to survive on its own. Local residents reported seeing 6–7 owls in the nest a few weeks prior to the incident.

Barn owls are protected both by state and federal law. The Division of Wildlife is asking for help from the public in locating the individual(s) responsible.

If you have any information related to this violation, or any other wildlife crime, please contact the Utah Division of Wildlife UTiP Hotline at 1-800-662-3337. Rewards are available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

• Conservation Officer Kody Jones
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  435.979.0583

• Additional contact:
  Sgt. Paul Washburn
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  435.979.5920