By MIKE DEMICK
Ravens point the way to two trophy-class bull moose rotting in the forest, one found north of Moscow Mountain and the other near Dworshak Reservoir. Both were shot and untouched by poachers.
A mature bull elk is shot and left to rot near George Grade road east of Lewiston. The only things taken are the antlers.
A landowner near Waha discovers a headless mule deer buck rotting in his field, probably the same large buck he enjoyed watching throughout the spring and summer.
This is only a partial list of the recent poaching incidents detected this fall in north-central Idaho. Both the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and area residents are sickened by these senseless crimes.
Make no mistake about it. Poaching is a crime and a violent, illegal act. Poachers are not hunters who respect their quarry, nor are they honest, hard-working people just trying to survive. Poachers are criminals who steal opportunities from legitimate hunters by wasting and destroying valuable resources.
Even greater than the opportunities they steal is their destruction of the image of hunters. Anti-hunting interests love to portray hunters as bloodthirsty killers. It is the image of the poacher, not the image of a hunter or lover of the outdoors, that causes a neutral urban voter to turn against hunting and firearm ownership.
The methods poachers use—killing during closed seasons, exceeding bag limits, spotlighting, party hunting and wasting wildlife—are repulsive to the legitimate hunter. The development of outdoor skills, the elements of fair chase, respect for their quarry and ethics are what motivate a true hunter, not bloodlust and greed.
There is no room for poachers in the community of honest hunters. We cannot stand the resource damage. We cannot tolerate the behavior that contradicts the things we love about the outdoors and the chase. Most of all, we cannot continue to exist as a minority in modern society if we are identified with these thoughtless criminals.
Compliance with regulations and sportsmanship depend on hunters policing themselves and their neighbors. If you tolerate a habitual violator, or look the other way when a hunting partner breaks the rules, you are simply encouraging the behavior.
Poaching is not solely the concern of Fish and Game; it is the concern of all ethical hunters and law-abiding citizens. If you witness someone stealing a car or fleeing from a bank robbery, chances are you would report it to authorities. You should do the same for wildlife crimes.
Fish and Game depends on the eyes and the ears of honest and concerned citizens to report illegal activities. A phone call to the Citizens Against Poaching hotline, (800) 632-5999, or your local conservation officer are among the department's most effective enforcement tools. Information is kept confidential, and substantial rewards are paid if citations are issued.
Now is the time to act. If you witness a wildlife violation, report the information as quickly as possible. If possible, try to obtain a vehicle license number and a physical description of the violator. Only when honest hunters band together and refuse to tolerate poachers will these criminals be removed from the privilege of hunting.
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Mike Demick, regional conservation educator for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's Clearwater Region, has been working for the agency since 1994.
