WITNESSES OF WILDLIFE-RELATED CRIMES CAN REPORT ANONYMOUSLY

One phone call can help catch wildlife thieves

PRATT – Countless wildlife, especially big game, will be illegally killed at the hands of poachers this season and unfortunately, these criminals are tough to catch. Game wardens work tirelessly to track down the men and women allegedly responsible for these crimes, but often a lack of evidence leaves officers with their hands tied. The good news is, one phone call can change this scenario. Operation Game Thief (OGT), 1-877-426-3843, is a program that provides a toll-free line available 24/7, 365 days of the year, for citizens to report wildlife-related violations. All calls received through the OGT line are quickly relayed to the natural resource officer nearest the violation, and callers can remain anonymous.

When reporting a wildlife crime, keep the following in mind:

• never confront suspects; and

• provide as much specific information as possible, such as vehicle model and color, license tag numbers, descriptions of people involved, locations, and the time the incident occurred.

OGT calls have resulted in numerous arrests and convictions on violations ranging from deer poaching to public lands vandalism. In many cases, poachers have been arrested within minutes of the call. If you think picking up the phone can’t make a difference, think again. Those who commit wildlife crimes aren’t just stealing from the land, they are stealing from us all. Help bring them to justice by calling OGT at 1-877-426-3843.

Related articles

• Treating environmental crime like other crime (ensia.com)

HUNTERS ENCOURAGED TO UTILIZE iSPORTSMAN ELECTRONIC CHECK-IN SYSTEM

Fourteen wildlife areas currently utilize the system, more to come

PRATT – Since Sept. 1, hunters using select Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

(KDWPT) wildlife areas have been able to obtain free daily hunt permits electronically through the iSportsman system. To date, more than 4,500 individuals have registered for accounts and have “checked in” for 8,000 daily hunting permits. Although several thousand hunters have used the new system, a large percentage of hunters continue to use the traditional paper permit system. The iSportsman electronic permit system, which is more efficient and economical than the paper system, is in use at the following wildlife areas: Jamestown, Lovewell, Clinton, Elwood, Kansas River, Milford, Cheyenne Bottoms, Texas Lake, Isabel, McPherson Wetlands, Slate Creek Wetlands, Neosho, Melvern and Lyon. A similar system has already been in use at Fort Riley.

This is a reminder for hunters planning to hunt any of the aforementioned areas to register for an account at any time by logging on to https://kdwpt.isportsman.net. Upon completing the registration, hunters will obtain a general access permit. He or she can then log on or call in before they plan to hunt to “check in.” After a hunt is complete, the hunter can then log on or call in to report harvests and “check out” of the system. The system can be utilized from any computer, smart phone, cell phone or landline.

For more information on iSportsman, call (620) 672-5911 or visit https://kdwpt.isportsman.net.

Related articles

• Hunting the Army way at Kansas' Fort Riley (stripes.com)
• Quail And Pheasant Hunting The Army Way At Fort Riley (wibw.com)
• Quail hunters get shots in on unused training sites of Big Red One (cjonline.com)
• Landowner Permission Required to Hunt Any Private Land in Kansas (ammoland.com)