Social Media Users Respond to Poaching Incidents

Several recent poaching cases are catching the attention of Facebook users who follow the Citizens Against Poaching page; a trophy mule deer shot before rifle season in Caribou County, two five-point bull elk shot out of season in Owyhee County, five mule deer with backstraps removed; left to waste in Homedale. The list goes on. Some of these cases are stirring a great deal of emotion in wildlife lovers who are angry about these crimes. While social media allows Citizens Against Poaching to expose these cases more effectively, this is not necessarily a sign of an increase in poaching. "With millions of acres of habitat here in Idaho, along with abundant wildlife, people who choose to steal fish and wildlife from the people of Idaho have plenty of opportunity," said Assistant Chief of Enforcement Chris Wright "Poaching has been a problem here from the day our agency was created 75 years ago. In the 21st century we hope tools like social media might actually help reduce poaching incidents." Citizens Against Poaching offers cash rewards to callers who provide information leading to the citation of suspected poachers. Callers may collect a reward while remaining anonymous. "Many true sportsmen would help us solve cases regardless of the reward," said Wright, "But it is a good added incentive for some people." Social media is proving to be a highly effective way to spread the word about these crimes. The Facebook post showing those five mule deer left to waste in Homedale was shared 582 times. As a result, it has reached more than 32,600 Facebook users. "This is one of several Facebook posts receiving a great deal of attention on the CAP Facebook page," said Public Information Specialist Steve Liebenthal. "With so much exposure, we are hopeful that one of those 32,000 people might have that one piece of information that will help us crack this case." The Citizens Against Poaching Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Citizens-Against-Poaching/13653999303400… We ask users to be aware of our guidelines and refrain from offensive language, even when a photograph or description of a crime might cause anger. Posts and comments not complying with the posted guidelines are deleted. Followers who repeatedly ignore the guidelines will be blocked from access to the page. "We really want to encourage people to join the conversation and speak their minds," said Liebenthal. "At the same time, we want to keep it family friendly, so that everyone has that opportunity without the risk of being offended, or having their children see or read something inappropriate." Anyone with information about a case posted on the page, or any crime against Idaho's wildlife is encouraged to call the CAP hotline at 1-800-632-5999.