Two bull moose shot dead near Buffalo.
A mule dear left to bleed out overnight near Rawlins.
An unreleased number of antelope slaughtered along the highway outside of Casper.
These are just the latest of a number of poaching incidents in Wyoming. As hunting season rolls around, so do increased numbers of illegally taken animals, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. In many cases, the animals are not used to their fullest extent.
“The back straps were removed from all four animals and portions of the hind quarters were removed from two of them. The remainder of the meat was left to waste,”dsaid the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in a bulletin referring to the four pronghorn antelope recently poached outside of Cheyenne.
Sometimes, no meat is taken and the poaching is done purely for sport. This appears to be the case in a recent Casper incident where an unreleased number of antelope were slaughtered along a 50-mile stretch of highway. According to a report by KCWY News 13, poachers firing AK-47 type rifles out of an SUV going approximately 40 mph conducted the spree. The poachers did not stop to collect any portion of the animals.
Among hunters at the university, poaching, while seen as rare, is condemned;
“I know a large number of hunters and don’t think poaching is a problem among them. Instead, it’s just one of those things that you hear about because it isn’t everyday that it happens.” said a sophomore business aministration major who wished not to be named, “Poachers are wrong and should be penalized accordingly.”
Though it may not be an everyday occurrence, the amount of game taken illegally is quite significant. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife website;
“Studies indicate poachers may kill almost as many animals and fish as legitimate hunters take during legal seasons.”
Hunters may not realize it, but poaching can affect their ability to draw and receive tags for animals targeted by poachers. In Wyoming, fewer moose licenses may be issued next year due to the recent poaching of two Bull Moose near Buffalo.
In addition poachers can steal, from law-abiding hunters, specimens that otherwise would have been trophies. Earlier this month, a trophy mule deer was illegally taken southwest of Medicine Bow.
“This was an once-in-a-lifetime buck and would have been a great harvest for a legal hunter,” Game Warden Ryan Kenneda said in a Wyoming Game and Fish Department bulletin.
Though the poaching situation may seem glum, most Wyoming hunters are responsible:
“The vast majority of individuals we encounter are law abiding citizens,”hWyoming Game and Fish Communications Director Renny Mackay said.
According to Mackay, many poaching incidents are simply the result of hunters being unaware of restrictions and regulations. Programs like Hunter’s Safety and bulletins issued by the Game and Fish are essential preventative measures for stopping poaching.
“We want the public to have that information at their fingertips,” Mackay said. “Education is key.”
Hunters and concerned citizens can work together to combat the problem. The Wyoming Game and Fish provides a STOP POACHING program, where anyone can report illegally taken game. 2013 figures have not yet been compiled, but according to previous years, the Game and Fish do not take tips lightly;
“In 2012, 100% of Stop Poaching tips were investigated,”nMacKay said, ”During the five years prior to 2012, an average of 417 poaching reports were received, 367 cases closed, $81,520 in fines and restitutions paid, and $11,180 in rewards paid annually. The majority of these reports and subsequent cases are a direct result of the department’s Stop Poaching Hotline.”
Those who provide tips that result in an arrest or the issuing of a citation may receive a cash reward. These tips can be reported in a variety of ways: over the phone by calling 1-877-943-3847, or via a text message to 847-411 containing the keyword “WGFD”.
