Operation Game Thief continues to efficiently and effectively route a record numbers of tips about poaching and other wildlife crimes to Wildlife Conservation officers, according to Game Commission staff.
During its first three months of operation, staff handled a whopping 768 reports about poaching and illegal activity. The program was launched in late September 2015.
That’s well above the number of tips received by the Game Commission’s hotline during a 12-month span in many years prior to Operation Game Thief’s launch, according to Chad Eyler, program co-administrator.
Even though the peak for poaching activity is still a month or more away, 728 tips have arrived during 2016, which means last year’s tip total could easily double.
“The numbers prove it. Operation Game Thief is getting results in getting people to pay attention to and report poaching and crimes against wildlife,” Eyler said. “At not yet a year old, the program already is a success.”
Eyler pointed to a handful of reasons the program has been so effective.
Internationally, 41 states and Canadian provinces have an Operation Game Thief program, so the name is widely recognized.
Additionally, the Game Commission’s Operation Game Thief program is designed for rapid response to violations and, in most cases, information is dispatched to officers within five minutes, Eyler said.
In its first year, Operation Game Thief was responsible for several large cases, including the unlawful taking of multiple trophy bucks. The hotline also has been used to submit reports of unlawful baiting in hunting areas, resulting in charges and preventing animals from being taken unlawfully.
Pennsylvania residents who witness a wildlife crime involving a deer, turkey, bear or elk, or a species protected, endangered or threatened can call the Game Thief toll-free hotline, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at (888) 742-8001. Reports also can be submitted online.