The recent illegal killing of three tule elk in Spring Valley has shocked just about everyone. The elk, all adult bulls, were slain on the opening day of deer season and left in a field. Fortunately the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens found the elk in time and were able to process the meat and give it to the fire camps to feed the fire crews. The bad news is as of yet there hasn”t been an arrest in the case, but the wardens are working on it and have some solid leads.
Today”s poacher crosses all lifestyles from the millionaire who wants a trophy buck, to the seasonal farm worker who only wants to put a little meat on the table for his family.
During the 15th century in England, all wild game was owned by the landowner and poachers were routinely hanged. While we no longer hang poachers, the problem is every bit as serious today as it was 500 years ago.
A century ago, poaching had little effect on fish and wildlife. Much of the West wasn”t settled and there was more than enough game and fish to go around. That is no longer true. Today, wildlife and fish are being pushed to the limit due to loss of habitat and encroachment from man.
A lot of people think a poacher is one who uses a spotlight and shoots a deer at night or illegally nets or spears fish, and is in the business for a profit. But, many hunters and fishermen have been a poacher at one time or another. If you shoot a deer and put your buddy”s tag on it ? you”re a poacher. The same holds true if you catch and keep over your limit of fish. Even if you intend to give it to a needy family. Regardless of your good intentions, you”re a poacher.
The result is that you”re taking more than your fair share of fish or wildlife, and in the end, depriving another hunter or fisherman the opportunity to enjoy a successful hunting or fishing trip. Hunting and fishing regulations are based upon the concept that there are only so much fish and wildlife for a given number of hunters and fishermen. It”s called limits.
For example, when the Department of Fish and Game establishes a limit on the number of deer that can be taken out of any zone, illegally killed deer are taken into account. To biologists, an illegally killed deer counts the same as legally killed one. In the end, the legitimate hunter pays for the poacher”s actions. In California, the DFG estimates that nearly as many deer are killed by poachers as taken by legal hunters, That amounts to over 40,000 deer per year.
Every year we read about poachers taking and selling abalone from the coastal waters. Even though the ones that are caught end up paying large fines, it doesn”t appear to be a deterrent. In other words for every poacher that”s caught there are many more who continue to take and sell fish and game.
One of the problems facing game wardens is the difficulty in making arrests in poaching cases. The DFG is understaffed and there are often only a few wardens to cover vast territories. Lake County is a good example; there are only two game wardens assigned to the county and they have to patrol hundreds of miles of back roads. In addition they have to patrol Clear Lake, Indian Valley Reservoir and Lake Pillsbury. They are also often called upon to patrol other areas of the state such as the coast for abalone poachers.
In California, just about all poaching violations are classed as misdemeanors. With district attorneys and judges having to deal with hundreds of serious felony cases, there is little time to spend on game violators and they are often let off with a small fine and placed on probation. They usually return to their old habits immediately. The good news is that in Lake County, poaching cases are prosecuted.
Despite all the modern tools the game wardens have, which include deer decoys, boats and even airplanes, the best tools are the concerned citizens. Most of the poaching arrests come as a result of citizens reporting the violation to the game wardens. All you have to do is call the toll free number (888) DFG-CALTIP. You can call 24 hours a day, seven days a week and you can remain anonymous. It could be the most important call you will ever make.
Terry Knight can be reached at tknight3021@sbcglobal.net or by calling (707) 263-1699. Letters intended for publication that respond to Mr. Knight”s column can be sent to news@clearlakeobserver.com.
