Arizona Game and Fish Department officers received an anonymous tip Jan. 25 about a mule deer doe that had been illegally killed in Game Management Unit 24B in the Superstition Mountains.

It was reported that the deer’s tenderloins — backstraps — had been removed, and the remainder of the carcass was left to waste. The doe likely was killed the night of Jan. 24 or in the early morning of Jan. 25, according to a release.

The doe was killed close to the shoulder of Hewitt Canyon Road (Forest Road 172), a popular and well-trafficked recreation area. Arizona Game and Fish Department is offering a reward of up to $1,500 for information leading to an arrest in this case.

“If you saw anything suspicious or a post on social media around these dates that may help us solve this case, we want to talk to you,” Will Hull, wildlife manager in the department’s regional office in Mesa, said in the release. “Poachers are not hunters. They are thieves stealing wildlife from the citizens of Arizona. Please call our Operation Game Thief Hotline. Your information could help catch a criminal.”

Arizona hunters and backcountry recreationists are often the best sources of leads for catching wildlife violators. If you have any information about this incident, contact the department’s Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-352-0700 (available 24/7), or by visiting azgfd.com/ogt. Reference case No. 22-000160.

The department may pay cash rewards to individuals whose reports lead to the arrest of poachers and other criminals in Arizona. Under law, callers may remain anonymous if requested and their confidentiality is protected. Money for rewards comes from criminal poaching fines, civil restitution by violators who commit wildlife crimes and donations.