Wyoming Game and Fish wants to know who poached a trophy mule deer found dead Sunday in Casper.

The animal, which had an unusual set of antlers, was found on the 2100 block of South Cedar Street with a bullet wound by its left front leg, said Game and Fish spokeswoman Robin Kepple.

"Certainly it took a while to die because it died in somebody's front yard," she said.

The buck was shot out of season and in an area where hunting isn't allowed. It's also against the law to shoot a big game animal and leave it to rot.

"This is the worst type of poaching we see: Someone shoots an animal like this and leaves it to suffer and die," Shawn Blajszczak, a Game and Fish wildlife technician, said in a written statement.

Mule deer, which take their name from their large ears, are found all over the state. Even though the animal is common, the particular deer that was poached was notable in Casper due to its memorable, asymmetrical rack, according to Game and Fish.

If found, the person who poached the deer could face up to $5,000 in fines and the loss of hunting and fishing privileges in Wyoming and up to 20 others states, Kepple said.

The issue goes beyond those who hunt. Poaching animals hurts everyone who enjoys wildlife, Kepple said.

"When folks are poaching animals, it's stealing from all of us," she said.

While not common, poaching does happen in the Casper area. About a year ago, a mule deer was shot with a field-tip arrow - a type of arrow used for practice - and suffered considerably.

Some people are willing to pay big money for a trophy deer. That's created a financial incentive for some hunters to poach, said Mark Gates, a Glenrock man who chairs the Wyoming National Bow Hunt and has hunted his entire life.

"I believe that the amount of money that is on big game animals now jeopardizes those animals," he said.

Poachers, Gates said, take away from hunters who follow the rules.

"When you take something illegally, it is cheating a law-abiding hunter from taking something legal," he said.

Game and Fish is asking anyone with information on the crime - including the day and time it occurred and a description of the suspect - to contact the department at (307) 743-3425 or at the "stop poaching" tip line at (877) WGFD-TIP. Informants can remain anonymous and may be eligible for an award.

Reach Joshua Wolfson at (307) 266-0582 or at josh.wolfson@casperstartribune.net.