Shooting protected wildlife is poaching, not recreational shooting, and people are watching

The southern Idaho desert becomes a popular area for recreational shooting during spring. While most target practice is done by responsible gun owners, a concerning minority illegally kill protected wildlife. In response, Idaho Fish and Game conservation officers are stepping up patrols to ensure people abide by laws created to protect Idaho’s nongame wildlife, ranging from songbirds to bald eagles. 

Fish and Game officers could use your help. If you see someone shooting birds, there’s a good chance they’re poaching protected wildlife, so please report them. You can report anonymously through the Citizen’s Against Poaching hotline at (800) 632-5999, or online through Fish and Game’s website. People who report are eligible for cash rewards.

It’s not recreational shooting, it’s poaching

“Some irresponsible people act like recreational target shooting is a free-for-all, and it’s not, especially when it comes to protected birds,” Fish and Game Conservation Officer Brian Flatter said. “We want those folks to know we’re watching, and hopefully, so are others, and there will be consequences.”

The only open Idaho hunting season for birds during spring is wild turkeys. Aside from a few unprotected bird species, everything else is protected. It’s the responsibility of shooters to know their targets. Killing protected wildlife may result in a citation that can lead to fines, revocation of hunting privileges and forfeiture of firearms.

Poachers can also face federal charges for some wildlife, particularly eagles, hawks, falcons and other raptors. Penalties can include thousands of dollars in fines and forfeitures. For example, in 2022, two men pleaded guilty to shooting a golden eagle and several red-tailed hawks near Boise. Combined, they paid $6,800 in fines and forfeited two rifles and a handgun.

Illegal shooting hurts electricity customers, too

Poaching is often associated with other illegal activity including shooting signs and powerlines or other electrical equipment. Shooting at powerlines, transformers, insulators or other equipment is not only a crime, it can also cause dangerous wildfires and emergency power outages. This also impacts all customers because they ultimately pay the cost for repairs.

Idaho Power works closely with Idaho Fish and Game to not only protect raptors, but to decrease illegal activity that can harm the electrical grid.

Be a good witness

Providing the right information when you witness poaching helps conservation officers investigate a case. Being a good witness not only helps them, it ultimately increases the likelihood that a violator is held accountable.

Remember that safety should always be your first priority. When reporting, these specific details help investigators:

•          Vehicle: Describe the vehicle and note the license plate, vehicle type, and color.

•          Location: Where did the crime take place? Use a GPS location or mapping app to point to the location where the crime occurred.

•          Wildlife: What wildlife was involved?

•          Photos: Take photos or videos that capture the scene.

•          Suspect Description: Describe the suspect and be specific as possible.

Illegal shooting can hurt bird local populations

“Many birds that are killed during the nesting season are likely to be parents,” said Deniz Aygen, Fish and Game wildlife biologist. “Even if a bird is not on a nest, it’s often searching for food to take back to a nest full of young ones, so killing that bird means that its chicks will not survive. This can have a much larger impact than a single death – especially if the species population size is already low.”

Recent research has shown that poaching protected, nongame species — specifically raptors and long-billed curlews — is more common in areas used by recreational shooters.

Locations such as  the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area and the Long-billed Curlew Habitat Area of Critical Environmental Concern, just south of the Treasure Valley are areas popular with recreational shooters.

A recent study suggests illegal shooting may have contributed to the long-term decline in the local long-billed curlew population. These birds numbered more than 2,000 in the late 1970s to fewer than 200 in 2014. It is now estimated there are fewer than 100 curlews in the area.