Fish and Game Needs Information On Wasted Deer

It's bad enough whenever some unethical, illegal, slob hunters start the deer season a little bit early (like five days!), but it's even more aggravating when they just shoot and leave the animals they kill. In the week before the general deer season opener of October 5, three known deer were shot and left in Cassia County. The first incident occurred Sunday evening, September 30. A 2-point buck was shot and left in an alfalfa field approximately six miles east of Interstate 84 on the Sublett Road. The landowner heard shots and responded, scaring off the poachers. The other two incidents happened either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning between the Connor Creek Store and Malta, along Cassia Creek. A motorist noticed a doe lying a short distance off the highway. When the conservation officer went to investigate, he discovered a second deer, another 2-point buck, in the same area. Both deer had been shot, but the buck was still alive. It had a broken back, shattered by a poacher's bullet. Conservation Officer Tim Ferguson of Burley relates, "It was pretty sad to know this buck had been lying out here suffering before I put him down." Officer Ferguson requests help from law-abiding hunters and the general public with information on these cases. People can call the Citizens Against Poaching hotline at 1-800-632-5999, or the Magic Valley Region of Fish and Game at 324-4359 if they have information on any of these cases. With fall hunting seasons in full swing, all regional conservation officers will be swamped with calls from concerned sportsmen and the public reporting fish and game violations. Unfortunately, with only 12 full time officers in the region, not all potential cases will be looked into. Officers simply have to prioritize their workload every day of the fall. If it comes to a closed season moose with a suspect, versus a possibly untagged deer hanging in a garage, there is no question which case gets the higher priority. Officers often hear, "I called Fish and Game and they didn't do anything about it." This is obviously a frustration to the public, but it is an even greater irritant to the officers. It is simply not possible to catch all the violators. Magic Valley Conservation Officers do the best they can with the time and leads they have, considering the fact that 21 years ago in this region, there were also just 12 officers in this region.