Reporting A Poacher
Poaching is illegal hunting, killing, capturing or taking of wildlife and violating local or international wildlife conservation laws. This can occur in a number of ways. For example, illegal shooting or trapping of an animal from a private or public property amounts to poaching.
OPERATION GAME THIEF
Operation Game Thief is a silent witness, anti-poaching program that encourages the public to report any suspicious activity or knowledge about a poaching violation. Toll-free hotlines are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to report wildlife violations in most states.
POACHERS are thieves that are stealing our country’s most precious natural resource- WILDLIFE! Poaching interferes with the ability to manage wildlife and wildlife habitat effectively; it negatively impacts the ability to enjoy the outdoors, and reduces opportunities to hunt and fish.
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Game & Fish Departments rely upon the citizens to assist in the reduction of wildlife violations, and rewards are sometimes available to those citizens that report information that leads to an arrest.
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CALLERS can be kept CONFIDENTIAL if desired.
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CELLULAR PHONE calls to a hotline have proven to be extremely beneficial. An officer’s chances of apprehending the violator while he is still in the woods is greatly enhanced when the offense is reported immediately. Most calls to the Operation Game Thief hotline are now TOLL-FREE. If your service is out of range, then record the following information as best as you can and call in the report as soon as you can. Take pictures if it’s safe.
What Types Of Environmental Violations Should Be Reported?
Violations of laws seriously affect fish, wildlife, state parks, and forests. The following examples of vandalism or violations cause habitat destruction, depletion and destruction of fish and wildlife populations, as well as destruction of natural resources.
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poaching
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hunting or fishing out of season
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trespassing
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exceeding bag limits
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nonresident purchasing resident licenses
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vehicles in non-motorized areas
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littering
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theft or destruction of natural resources
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violations of Block Management Area rules
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illegally introduced fish
The 8 Pieces of Information You Should Report
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Number of violators and names if known: ( #, names )
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Describe the violator(s): (Height, Hair, Sex, Clothing)
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Violator(s) comments: (If you spoke, what was said)
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Describe the vehicle(s) involved: (Make, model, color, license plate)
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Describe the violation: (Be as specific and detailed as possible)
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When did the violation occur? (Date, time, etc.)
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Where did the violation occur? (Please be as specific as possible.)
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Additional comments: (Any other information you think may assist with the investigation.)
FIND YOUR STATE BELOW TO
REPORT A CONSERVATION VIOLATION
