Current County Commissioner Wade Heaton is under investigation for potentially baiting big game on the Alton Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit (Alton CWMU) in Utah. Heaton owns the Heaton Ranch as well as Color Country Outfitters – both of which operate on the Alton CWMU. 

Alton CWMU is part of a program that gives landowners vouchers for big game permits that can be sold, along with guiding services, for thousands and thousands of dollars, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

In exchange for the big game vouchers – and ability to make a lot of money off of them – CWMUs are required to work with the state to maintain wildlife habitat on their property and also allow some public land hunters to also hunt the land.

However, on Oct. 4, 2023, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) filed a “lengthy report,” listing Heaton and six others as suspects in an investigation regarding “unlawful big game baiting, unlawful taking/possession of protected wildlife and a pattern of unlawful activity at multiple areas in the Alton CWMU,” according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

Heaton, who was also a member of the Utah Wildlife Board, submitted his resignation five days after the report was published, sending an email to UDWR, ”My life has continued to become busier and more complicated and I no longer feel that I have the time needed to serve on the Wildlife board.”

Eleven “involved/others” are listed in the report – some of which appear to be hunters, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

If found guilty, Heaton would lose the ability to operate the CWMU. 

Baiting big game for hunting was banned in Utah in 2021, a decision that mirrored other western states. Baiting is legally defined as “placing food or nutrients to manipulate the behavior of wildlife” and can result in “charges ranging from a class B misdemeanor charge to third-degree felony.” Someone convicted of baiting big game could have their hunting privileges suspended.

There is an exemption to the 2021 law that allows for salt licks for agriculture purposes. Hunters are permitted to hunt over those salt licks. 

Heaton Ranch is a cattle ranch, making the salt licks distributed throughout the area technically legal. However, the report has redacted much of the information available to the public, including what UDWR is investigating as potential bait used by Heaton for hunting purposes, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. 

In 2019, Heaton Ranch used apples to bait mule deer; however, that was considered legal at the time. A 2004 incident accused Heaton of cornering deer with 8-foot-high fencing; however, no charges were ultimately filed.

In December, UDWR’s investigation was referred to the Utah County Attorney’s office for evaluation of possible charges. The Utah County Attorney’s office did not respond to questions about the case and UDWR considers the case on-going.

Heaton has also not responded to multiple requests from The Salt Lake Tribune for comment regarding the accusations.