By Charlie Meyers, Denver Post Outdoor Editor
What's it worth to catch a game thief? The Colorado Wildlife Commission will attempt to answer that question at its meeting in Steamboat Springs on Thursday and Friday.
"Poaching is a serious problem. I think we need to dial the discussion up a notch," commission chairman Rick Enstrom said of a discussion that will, among other things, entertain a proposal for rewarding those who report violations.
Under this proposed regulation, anyone who reported a violation of the so-called Sampson law or similar willful destruction of big game would be entitled to obtain a matching license for the species that was illegally killed.
Named after a magnificent bull elk shot by a poacher near Estes Park, the Sampson law provides accelerated penalties for illegally killing trophy animals. On a sliding scale, these fines often run to several thousand dollars.
Some game managers believe that providing a few extra licenses - no guarantee that recipients actually would harvest a bull elk or buck deer - would form a strong incentive for informants to come forward.
By best estimates, various forms of illegal hunting and shooting take a severe toll on Colorado's wildlife. The Division of Wildlife combats such acts through Operation Game Thief, an anonymous tip line that uses a toll-free phone number, 800-332-4155.
Anyone who witnesses a game violation in progress may contact a wildlife officer almost immediately by phoning the 911 emergency line, through which the warden may be contacted directly by radio.
Oak
What's it worth to catch a game thief? The Colorado Wildlife Commission will attempt to answer that question at its meeting in Steamboat Springs on Thursday and Friday.
"Poaching is a serious problem. I think we need to dial the discussion up a notch," commission chairman Rick Enstrom said of a discussion that will, among other things, entertain a proposal for rewarding those who report violations.
Under this proposed regulation, anyone who reported a violation of the so-called Sampson law or similar willful destruction of big game would be entitled to obtain a matching license for the species that was illegally killed.
Named after a magnificent bull elk shot by a poacher near Estes Park, the Sampson law provides accelerated penalties for illegally killing trophy animals. On a sliding scale, these fines often run to several thousand dollars.
Some game managers believe that providing a few extra licenses - no guarantee that recipients actually would harvest a bull elk or buck deer - would form a strong incentive for informants to come forward.
By best estimates, various forms of illegal hunting and shooting take a severe toll on Colorado's wildlife. The Division of Wildlife combats such acts through Operation Game Thief, an anonymous tip line that uses a toll-free phone number, 800-332-4155.
Anyone who witnesses a game violation in progress may contact a wildlife officer almost immediately by phoning the 911 emergency line, through which the warden may be contacted directly by radio.
Oak
