Illegal Hunting Keeps Officers Busy

With fall hunting seasons in full swing, so are Salmon Region conservation officers. Within the past week, local officers have responded to two calls with information from local residents. Both cases resulted in the apprehension of the violators with citations issued. During the week of September 14, Conservation Officer Merritt Horsmon responded to a call of an elk taken unlawfully in the Seafoam area. The hunter shot and killed a 6x6 elk without a valid tag. During the same week, Conservation Officer Eric Crawford responded to a report of individuals hunting in the West Fork Morgan Creek area with rifles in an archery only season. A 5x6 bull elk was shot with a rifle in the Salmon Zone archery only season. The defendant claimed he was in the Middle Fork Zone, but after a short investigation it was determined he was 2 1/2 miles from that area. The animal was seized and the defendant was cited and is scheduled to appear in court. Conservation officers make most of their cases with information provided by concerned citizens. Estimates indicate that for every legally taken animal another animal is taken illegally. Illegal activity can include closed season, aid of artificial light, trespass and unlawful methods. Officers are also seeking information on a bull elk shot with a rifle and left to waste on the East Fork Salmon River. About September 13, an adult bull was shot adjacent to land owned by Wayne Baker on the lower East Fork. The bull was shot with a high power rifle and left to waste. Only the antlers were taken. Someone tried to remove the antlers attached to the skull plate but ended up removing the antlers individually. A year ago, a similar incident in Clayton resulted in the waste of an entire bull elk. The animal was shot at about 2 a.m. on October 14. There are no suspects, and that case has remained unsolved. Anyone spending time outdoors is asked to pay particular attention to anything that doesn't seem right and provide the information to a conservation officer. Being a good witness includes noting the actions of the violator, distinguishing characteristics of the violator and recording vehicle information, particularly license plate numbers. Persons with information regarding these cases or other potential violations are encouraged to call the Citizens Against Poaching hotline at 1-800-632-5999. The CAP hotline is open 24 hours a day, and information is relayed to officers immediately. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.