Submitted Photo When a hunter or angler commits an unlawful act, they no longer earn the respect of the term. The minute an illegal act is taken they become a poacher. Photo by Ashley Peterson, NDGF.

Even if you’ve never been a hunter, you’re likely familiar with the term poaching. Poaching is theft, plain and simple. It’s the illegal taking or killing of fish and wildlife. It’s stealing from legal hunters and trampling on the public trust. It might be shooting before legal hours, fishing without a license or shooting an extra deer, duck or pheasant.

The first few issues of poaching I witnessed in my time as a game warden are etched in memory. Coming around the corner and seeing a man in a creek spearing pike running upstream. Watching a hunting party shoot a deer and leave them until another hunter with the proper tag arrived.

Both incidents were blatant violations and not excused by “it was an accident” or ” I didn’t know.”

While some give a shade of acceptance to “they were going to eat it all.” In this day and age of public assistance, poaching extra game and fish isn’t the way to solve hunger.

I’ll ask you. Have you ever been with someone poaching or witnessed an illegal act of a hunter or angler?

I should note many, including myself, divide the word. When a hunter or angler commits an unlawful act, they no longer earn the respect of the term. The minute an illegal act is taken they become a poacher.

When you witness a wildlife violation, don’t just complain about it – report it. And do so immediately. Not later standing in line at the convenience store.

North Dakota employs just a few dozen field game wardens, each covering nearly 3,000 square miles. Within that is terrain from badlands and river valleys to wide open, sparsely populated regions and some hard-to-get-to places even in this age of advances in mobility and UTVs.

Hunters and citizens are the extra set of eyes and ears in the field. That’s where the Report All Poachers program, launched in 1983, becomes vital: anonymous tips, monetary rewards, and collaboration between North Dakota Game and Fish, State Radio and North Dakota Wildlife Federation.

How it works:

– Call 701-328-9921.

– Provide clear, timely details of what happened, exactly where, descriptions of the violator(s), their vehicle, license plate, who was doing what, and so on.

– Stay safe. Never try to stop the violator or confront them yourself. Leave the enforcement to trained wardens.

– Remain anonymous if you prefer. Reward amounts range from $100 to $1,000 depending on the severity of the crime.

Why report now? Complaints at the local filling station or waiting until the next wildlife club meeting or the next time you run into a warden does little, at best. Game warden intervention is only possible if poaching events are made promptly. Wardens can often arrive before suspects leave the scene if notified immediately. Maybe a game warden is just a few miles away?