Print
E-mail
Comment
Poaching cases up because of hotline
Norma Engelberg
Poaching cases are up this year but that might not be due to an increase in the number of poachers. Instead, Colorado Division of Wildlife public information officer Michael Seraphin attributed the increase to the number of people willing to call the Operation Game Thief hotline to report suspicious acts.
He gave three examples of poaching cases from Teller County.
A hunter reported seeing a man walking down Signal Butte Road carrying a rifle but not wearing orange, a violation of safe-hunting rules. A DOW officer responded and found the man, who admitted to hunting elk without a license and said if he had bagged an elk he would have tagged it with his wife’s elk tag, a clear hunting violation. He was fined $1,441 and assessed 15 points against future hunting licenses — 20 points accumulated can result in a suspended license.
The second case was reported by a Divide resident who found a gut pile on his property. Drag marks led an officer to a neighbor who admitted to trespassing and killing the deer without a license. He faces a $1,824 fine and 30 points.
“This third case is the most interesting because it shows how small pieces of information can be put together to solve a case,” Seraphin said.
During the fourth hunting season in Pike National Forest above Gold Camp Road, a Colorado Springs elk hunter heard a shot and saw a man who had downed a deer.
“As hunters do, he went over to congratulate the man on his kill and even helped him drag the deer to the shade,” Seraphin said.
In conversation the hunter learned that the man had a elk license, that his first name was Brian and the kind of business he was in. Later that evening he looked up the hunting seasons and realized deer season was closed in that area. He called the hotline and reported what he knew.
Wildlife officers pulled the list of hunters who had elk licenses for that area and compared them. There were several Brians but they found one with an e-mail address that indicated the type of work he did.
This Brian faces fines of up to $1,824 and 30 points. Officers also learned that his girlfriend allowed him to tag the deer with her unfilled license when he took it to a meat processor. She also was ticketed for $274 for the illegal transfer.
“What all of these cases have in common is that people called the Division of Wildlife with a tip,” Seraphin states in an e-mail. “The DOW reminds people to make notes of license plate numbers, physical descriptions, time of day, landmarks, or any other information they can recall about the event. Sometimes even the most innocent piece of information, like what a person does for a living, can make a difference.”
He said some things might not indicate poaching.
“Just finding deer carcasses might not be a poaching case,” he said. “Hunters are allowed to leave the hide, bones and guts behind. They just have to make sure they can prove the sex of the animal.”
However, finding a carcass with just its head missing is a good indication that the animal was poached.
“In that case, please call us,” he said.
In the e-mail, he adds: “Every year Colorado wildlife officers investigate hundreds of potential crimes, but it is likely that only a fraction of the violations are ever uncovered. Sometimes, the timely information provided by the public makes the difference in convicting a poacher.”
Hotline callers can receive cash rewards for reporting incidents and those who are willing to testify against a poacher might receive a hunting license equivalent to the type of violation reported as part of the Turn in Poachers program.
The Operation Game Thief hotline number is 877-265-6648.
Poaching cases are up this year but that might not be due to an increase in the number of poachers. Instead, Colorado Division of Wildlife public information officer Michael Seraphin attributed the increase to the number of people willing to call the Operation Game Thief hotline to report suspicious acts.
He gave three examples of poaching cases from Teller County.
A hunter reported seeing a man walking down Signal Butte Road carrying a rifle but not wearing orange, a violation of safe-hunting rules. A DOW officer responded and found the man, who admitted to hunting elk without a license and said if he had bagged an elk he would have tagged it with his wife’s elk tag, a clear hunting violation. He was fined $1,441 and assessed 15 points against future hunting licenses — 20 points accumulated can result in a suspended license.
The second case was reported by a Divide resident who found a gut pile on his property. Drag marks led an officer to a neighbor who admitted to trespassing and killing the deer without a license. He faces a $1,824 fine and 30 points.
“This third case is the most interesting because it shows how small pieces of information can be put together to solve a case,” Seraphin said.
During the fourth hunting season in Pike National Forest above Gold Camp Road, a Colorado Springs elk hunter heard a shot and saw a man who had downed a deer.
“As hunters do, he went over to congratulate the man on his kill and even helped him drag the deer to the shade,” Seraphin said.
In conversation the hunter learned that the man had a elk license, that his first name was Brian and the kind of business he was in. Later that evening he looked up the hunting seasons and realized deer season was closed in that area. He called the hotline and reported what he knew.
Wildlife officers pulled the list of hunters who had elk licenses for that area and compared them. There were several Brians but they found one with an e-mail address that indicated the type of work he did.
This Brian faces fines of up to $1,824 and 30 points. Officers also learned that his girlfriend allowed him to tag the deer with her unfilled license when he took it to a meat processor. She also was ticketed for $274 for the illegal transfer.
“What all of these cases have in common is that people called the Division of Wildlife with a tip,” Seraphin states in an e-mail. “The DOW reminds people to make notes of license plate numbers, physical descriptions, time of day, landmarks, or any other information they can recall about the event. Sometimes even the most innocent piece of information, like what a person does for a living, can make a difference.”
He said some things might not indicate poaching.
“Just finding deer carcasses might not be a poaching case,” he said. “Hunters are allowed to leave the hide, bones and guts behind. They just have to make sure they can prove the sex of the animal.”
However, finding a carcass with just its head missing is a good indication that the animal was poached.
“In that case, please call us,” he said.
In the e-mail, he adds: “Every year Colorado wildlife officers investigate hundreds of potential crimes, but it is likely that only a fraction of the violations are ever uncovered. Sometimes, the timely information provided by the public makes the difference in convicting a poacher.”
Hotline callers can receive cash rewards for reporting incidents and those who are willing to testify against a poacher might receive a hunting license equivalent to the type of violation reported as part of the Turn in Poachers program.
The Operation Game Thief hotline number is 877-265-6648.
Submit a Comment
|
You must be logged in to post a comment.
|
Not yet a registered member?
Click here to become one. |
