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Public commenter faults enforcement and alleges bison damage to private cattle herds
Summary
A Book Cliffs landowner criticized enforcement and said DWR funds and projects are misallocated, said bison are killing cattle on his property and urged the public to organize to address wildlife management and enforcement concerns.
Green River, Utah — A landowner from the Book Cliffs raised a series of allegations about Division enforcement, alleged misuse of wildlife funding on private properties and substantial bison damage to his cattle herd during public comment to the Southeastern Region Advisory Council.
William Austin Carter told the council he is a Book Cliffs landowner and that he opposes implementation of e‑tagging in part because he sees enforcement shortcomings that lead to wasteful or illegal harvest and incomplete retrieval of harvested animals. "I think it's a bad idea because it opens the door for more abuse of poaching incidences and non harvest waste," he said, adding he has photographs of multiple elk left in the field.
Carter also said he is experiencing bison damage on his property, that he counts about a dozen dead cows and that he has tried unsuccessfully to obtain mitigation funds. He expressed broader distrust of Division officials and said the public needs to organize to address what he described as misallocation of wildlife money and poor enforcement. He urged officials to visit the Book Cliffs to see conditions he described.
The RAC recorded the comment; no RAC or Division action was taken during the meeting. Division staff and law enforcement were present at the meeting but did not provide details or responses during the public-comment period. Carter offered to provide photographs and documentation to support his claims.
