Poaching on the Increase

On a late September morning, a fully mature 5X5 bull elk steadily made his way through the upper Pahsimeroi Valley. The cool air curled his breath around him and he stopped to scent the air. But he never smelled the man that sent the arrow into his spine killing him instantly. The man paused long enough to retrieve his arrow before he walked away. The bull was left to rot where he lay. This unfortunate incident represents but one of 47 unlawfully killed animals documented by Conservation Officers in Lemhi and Custer counties this past hunting season. In all, 31 elk, 8 deer, 3 moose, 3 antelope, and 2 bear were illegally killed by people who would probably describe themselves as hunters. But that word hardly applies to those who flagrantly disregard wildlife law and the citizens of this state to whom all wildlife belong. These people are poachers and nothing more. And, unfortunately, their illegal activity seems to be increasing. Early evening in September at the mouth of Allison Creek finds a small band of elk grazing in the twilight. The silence is shattered by rifle shots. When the echoes end the herd has scattered. Night descends upon the bodies of five dead elk: a 4X4 bull, two cows and two calves. No attempt was made to recover any meat or care for the carcasses. Several excuses seem to exist to justify poaching in the minds of some people. Perhaps the most common excuse is poaching for meat to feed a family. In this day and age it is the rare poacher who fits this description. In most cases, the money spent purchasing ammunition, fuel, and other items is better spent at the local grocery story purchasing the equivalent amount of food. Another common excuse for poaching is that the poacher is only "stealing the King's deer." In other words the poacher is simply stealing from the Fish and Game department, something that apparently makes this behavior legitimate. In medieval times, wildlife was owned by royalty. In today's society, the wildlife resources of a state belong to its citizens and the wildlife agency simply acts as the custodian of that wildlife for present and future generations. Simply put, poaching represents the theft of a wild animal from each and every citizen in this state. Whether you are a hunter or wildlife watcher, an illegally taken animal has been stolen from you. The Double Springs area was a favorite spot for elk. Lush alfalfa provided ample feed for a herd of elk living in the vicinity. But over a two-month period in the fall, seven cow elk were shot. The animals lay where they fell, left to rot. What upsets most citizens about poaching cases is the sheer waste of a game animal. More often than not, an illegally killed animal is not field dressed and taken home. A beautiful rack is carelessly hacked off and the rest of the animal dumped into a nearby stream. That was the fate of a 5X4 mule deer buck illegally killed on the last day of elk season by someone who was upset he had not harvested an elk. Or the bull moose shot in the Mill Creek drainage in November. Only its antlers were taken leaving what many consider to be the best of all wild game meat rotting on a hillside. And then there is the poacher who kills an elk only to take the backstraps and leave the rest of the meat behind. Idaho has a law that prohibits the waste of a game animal. Any hunter harvesting an animal is required to remove and properly care for all the edible meat on that animal. This includes the meat from the fore and hindquarters, the neck meat, the meat along the backbone and the meat covering the ribs. While it is not required, many hunters also harvest the liver and heart from their big game animals. In a large animal such as a mature elk, the amount of edible meat is significant. Leaving it to rot is a waste of valuable food. A mother black bear and her two yearling cubs make their way along the Pahsimeroi River. October has touched the leaves of the trees casting a golden hue along the water's edge. As they amble through the leaves searching for that last bit of food to top off their reserves of winter fat, the mother is shot. Her body is not harvested and the fate of her two cubs is unknown. A major misconception that people have regarding poachers is who they actually are. All too often, residents point their fingers at out-of-state hunters assuming that they are responsible for the majority of poaching incidents. Unfortunately, we frequently do not have to look any farther than our own backyard. Poachers are often local residents who seem to feel that the laws do not apply to them. Hence, they commit crimes against their own friends and neighbors every time they illegally kill an animal. The smell of sagebrush hung in the air as a small band of pronghorn made its way along the flats. Every wary and watchful, they probably saw the vehicle from which the shot was fired that dropped one of their members. In a cloud of dust the pronghorn fled. The downed animal was left and never harvested. Of the 47 illegally killed animals documented by Conservation Officers, only nine have been solved and the perpetrators prosecuted. Despite the efforts of officers, the rest of these cases remain open and unsolved. This is sobering enough by itself. Unfortunately, these cases are only the tip of a much larger iceberg that exists not only in Lemhi and Custer counties, but also in other counties across the state as well. Since the vast majority of wildlife crime goes unnoticed and unreported, officers must frequently rely on the reports of witnesses. If concerned citizens do not report illegal activity, poachers will continue to steal Idaho's wildlife from its citizens. If you witness illegal activity or have witnessed such activity during this past hunting season, please take the time to contact the Citizen's Against Poaching hotline at 1-800-632-5999 or a Conservation Officer at 756-2271. Concerned citizens can help make a difference and help send the message that poaching will not be tolerated in our community. Unless we all care enough to protect our wildlife, the poachers will continue their illegal activity and everyone loses, especially our wildlife.