Reporting Poachers

[Marc Martyn]

[Anonymous]

In my fishing career I really haven't run across to many poachers. If I do run into one, I will report them right away by calling on my cell, say something to them and then get them off the water.





fishnislife

[The Quadfather]

Marc

This is a good poll/thread because it got me to thinking about where/who to call?
Can you post a number here that people could put in their cell phones and then it would be available to you when you are out on the water. It's only unfortunate that the authorities are probably so spread thin that you might see alot of response on your calls, but at least one can try.

[fishnislife]

STOP WASHINGTON POACHERS
- Reward Program -
Call Toll-Free at 1-800-477-6224

This is the WDFW page for reporting poaching.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/enf/poaching.htm

This is what the WDFW site says about poaching and what to look for:


What is Poaching?

Basically, "poaching" is the illegal taking or possession of game, non-game, protected, threatened, or endangered species. In order to understand the fish/game laws of this state, please familiarize yourself with the hunting and fishing regulations posted on the WDFW website.

Hunting deer/elk with the aid of spotlight, closed season, closed area, possessing over the legal limits of fish/wildlife, or the killing of protected and endangered animals are just a few examples.

Poaching Repercussions:

Poaching has a direct affect on all of us that follow the rules. For example, poaching diminishes current and future populations thus reducing hunting/fishing opportunities for us and our children, and deprives local businesses of revenues.

It is not known exactly how much poachers take, but it's estimated they can illegally take just as much as legitimate hunters/fishers do during regular seasons.

What to look for:

If you believe you have just witnessed a fish/wildlife violation, try and record all the necessary information:

Auto license number, make, model, year, description of vehicle (poor shape, off-road vehicle, camper shell, etc.).

Person that committed the violation (race, sex, color of hair, build), name, and address (if available).

Type of violation, when/where did it occur, or species.

Why Should You Report a Violation:

Bottom line is that poaching steals the opportunity from the rest of us that follow the rules and regulations. Currently, Fish and Wildlife Officers cannot apprehend all violators. However, with the help from the hunting/fishing community, we can make a difference.





They are breaking the law. You can always call 911 too.



fishnislife

[Marc Martyn]

Good post, Fishinislife.

I have been told by game wardens to call the WSP. Several have told me that doing this will result in a faster response. On the weekends, the offices of the WDFW are closed. The state patrol will notify game officials in the area. The WDFW officials in the field monitor the WSP's radio frequency in their vehicles. WSP and WDFW work very close together.

quadradomus- It is my understanding that all law enforcements officers can issue citations for game violations.

Dave can verify this better. I'll send him a PM to expand on this issue. He is a law enforcement officer.

[Derrick-k]

Thanks for the link, me and my dad had never reported poachers before because we didn't know how.

And I have seen some bad one's like in rural steelheading rivers the locals all keep natives I've seen a 18-20lber........

[fishnislife]

Good post, Fishinislife.

I have been told by game wardens to call the WSP. Several have told me that doing this will result in a faster response. On the weekends, the offices of the WDFW are closed. The state patrol will notify game officials in the area. The WDFW officials in the field monitor the WSP's radio frequency in their vehicles. WSP and WDFW work very close together.

quadradomus- It is my understanding that all law enforcements officers can issue citations for game violations.

Dave can verify this better. I'll send him a PM to expand on this issue. He is a law enforcement officer.

Thank you sir.

Great info from you as well.

It is my understanding that law enforcement offices can issue citations too. Dave, where you at buddy? Help us out here.



fishnislife

[Marc Martyn]

I was asleep when I put this in "Off Topic"#-o

[eustace]

Interesting poll, for the most part I do. This last fall my brother and I took his twin boys on some state land near Suncrest, deer hunting and we came across some young men cutting the head off a large Bull Elk and we turned them in. But we weren't going to hold them there by gun point. I don't know if they were caught or not, we gave a statement. Earlier that fall we were on Stranger mountian and a kid shot an illegal Muley Buck ( bad judgment ), we didn't say anything. So I look at the situation.

[A9]

Haven't run into "poachers" but have run into people breaking the laws. Usually I politely inform them of the proper law...

[bassmasterderek]

No posting from Dave yet!

By all means I do not know as much as Dave may no. But I am a commissioned Corrections Deputy and am familiar with the legal system. First, I would use the 1-800 number for WDFW listed above. You can dial 911 and can file a report with ANY Law Enforcement that responds and the information will be forwarded to prosecutors. Also it helps if you get as much information as you can and if whoever you talk to asks if you wish to bo contacted say yes. It's always easier to write a report coming from the person that was there.

[Marc Martyn]

I got a PM reply back from Dave and he said that he will be posting his comments.

[Dave]

Hi everyone. Reading a long post can be challenging. In an attempt to be thorough and provide accurate info to everyone, my reply is long so my apology in advance. I was asked in a PM by Marc Martin to provide information on the subject of reporting poachers which I am happy to do. I am not a Fish and Wildlife Officer but am able to provide you with accurate information on this topic based on my current police career of over 20 years of training and experience. Any commissioned law enforcement officer in WA State can enforce any RCW (Revised Code of Washington) and or their own jurisdictions municipal or county codes. So yes, the police can enforce fish and wildlife laws.

Simply calling 911 is always a good bet for getting the police or WDFW started towards your complaint. Since most of us who are out in the field will likely be calling 911 from a cell phone, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, when calling 911 from a cell phone, the call is going to go to the nearest Washington State Patrol dispatch center. This is good for poaching or other fish and wildlife complaints because WDFW Officers are dispatched through WSP dispatch centers. From there the 911 call taker will want to know the location where the incident is occurring. This will allow the call taker to transfer your call (if necessary) to the appropriate dispatch center to take the call to completion.

Remember that there are very few WDFW officers for each county meaning if you report someone over limiting or using bait in a fly only lake for example, you may not get a super quick response time from the officer. If the call is dispatched to a police or sheriff’s department it is possible you will receive a quicker response time from the Officer or Deputy but keep in mind that some police agencies personnel don’t have a lot of experience enforcing fish and wildlife laws so they may not have immediate knowledge of exactly which law in being broken, but most if not all officers will be able to identify that the law is being broken and will be able to act.

Once you have reached the appropriate dispatch center you will be able to give the 911 call taker information about the crime you are reporting. Although most 911 call takers will ask the questions responding officers want to know, sometimes we wish they would have gotten a little more information. You can help the process along by providing as much of the following information as possible; What type of poaching act is taking place? Where is the crime taking place? The more precise location you give the better. Is there a vehicle in the area or one that is associated with the suspect? If so, what is the license plate State and number? If the crime is occurring on the water, give the boats “WN” # if there is one, or the boats brand name and description of the boat to the call taker, and a direction of travel if it is leaving the area after for example harvesting an out of season species or over limiting. How many suspects are there and are they armed? Remember, lots of folks are armed meaning lots of boaters are armed. If this is a hunting complaint, this question is more likely to apply and you are more likely going to have seen a firearm. If armed, what are they carrying? Rifle, pistol, knife ect. Give a description of the suspect or suspects to include race, sex, height, weight or build, age, clothing description, hair color and or length, and anything else that you can see that might make the suspect stand out, for example, “one guy is wearing a green jacket with a NY Giants logo on the front.” If the suspect is leaving the area, give vehicle info if it applies, (if hunting, they could be on foot to start, sometimes parking a fair distance from their poaching location if the game is able to be packed out with minimal effort), and give the direction of travel.

Following a suspect is not encouraged by law enforcement but if it is done from a safe distance (especially if you can follow unnoticed by the suspect) it’s fairly safe and may allow you to give a 911 call taker eyes on details as to where the suspect is headed which will be relayed to incoming officers. If you follow a suspect I can’t stress enough to keep a safe distance and don’t hesitate to disengage if there is any indication that you will have a confrontation if you continue to follow. Remember that nothing is worth you getting shot or assaulted over so be careful if you follow someone. Although it is tempting to confront someone kindly or otherwise, who is breaking the law, especially fishing type laws, it is a practice even I do not partake in when I am off duty. Here is why; Trust me when I tell you based on my police and personal experience, you NEVER now who you have in front of you. The person keeping more than his limit of trout could be a convicted felon with a short fuse or someone who has done his time in prison for man slaughter or whatever and wouldn’t hesitate to assault you or even worse, note the license plate number and description of your truck and see you and your family at your home later when you least expect it. Leaving the macho crap behind, confronting people in today’s world is without question a huge gamble that in my opinion is not worth taking.

After the fact complaints which you may have heard referred to as cold complaints, can also be reported to the WDFW by either calling 911 or by calling the field office nearest you to get the ball rolling. If you call 911 from your home, you might need to ask for State Patrol Dispatch because calling 911 from your home usually takes you to a “local police” dispatch center in your area. If you are able to provide solid detailed first hand information as described above, officers will then have the opportunity to investigate the incident you have reported, which could lead to an arrest or criminal charges referred to the prosecutor’s office. You will likely be asked if you can identify the suspect if you were to see him again, and to provide a written statement. Lastly if you witness and report a crime, you could be subpoenaed into court to give testimony in the case.

I hope this information was helpful. Sorry it was so long. Remember to be safe and that taking a chance when reporting a crime in progress isn’t worth injury or death so always use good judgment when deciding how far you want to go to report a crime. Be safe everyone and good fishin.

[bassmasterderek]

Well put Dave thank you.

Dave already said it but I won't to say it agian. Please be safe when reporting these things in. You will be suprised how "normal/average" our violent offenders look! And allot do fish/hunt even if they aren't supposed to be hunting because they aren't suupose to have any weapons!

[kevinb]

Thanks Dave. Very informative and useful. Good look'n out.

[kayak chris]

I personally have not come accros anyone poaching game will hunting or hiking. However, I have come accross plenty of people poaching while fishing. Usually they are either using too many rods or keeping over the limit. I always call them in.:batman:

[cant sleep]

not playing by the rules isnt cool.... sometimes its possible alittle friendly chatter just to break the ice is what it would take to see where the persons heads at.. If infact it is pre,orchestrated and that was his or her intent.. than the wars on baby!!.... its time to call for an airforce strike... they dont have rule over the water way..and it only ruins it for all.... remember sometimes they just dont know...... be freindly and say "hey dude whats up?"

[Rob G.]

Great response......We don't want any of our fellow angler/hunters to ge hurt. Please stay away from the confrontations......a real hero is someone who takes care of his family and abides by the law. If you see someone breaking the law pick up a phone.

[cant sleep]

disagree!,,, that what wrong with this country the friendlyness is gone..... we all seem to be living in shadows and peeking through the blinds.... to afraid to get up and say hello.. look a guy in the eyes with a hand shake... what happen to thoughs days..... yea agree if i see someone which is threatening thats a different story. thats the hero stuff and left up the the offials... but if im in an area i have been a couple thousand times.. why not say hello and give the guy some kinds words than see where it goes.... if he wants to be a jerk id pick up the phone while he can here me talking to the cops.... assualt charges carry a stiff sentence these days... they dont mess around.... just because someones feakin out that doesnt mean i have to do the same... theres nothing to be afraid of. people need to be alittle more freindly these days.. i think this what mine is mine and thats yours is yours only hurts everyone... i think when were out in the water we need to be freindly to other boaters and give a friendly chat to the person standing at the boat ramp. even though he might not where the same clothes or carry the same way about things. be friendly... im trying to be nice... it doesnt come naturally it takes work. im constantly challenging myself.. catch lots of fish.. and do it with a smile

[kuttkilla]

quadradomus- It is my understanding that all law enforcements officers can issue citations for game violations.

Yes they can...and they do...WSP, KCSO...they can all enforce water laws and fishing regs...Dave made one of the bests post EVER concerning this subject and answered all my questions...what a great post Dave! Thanks.