Forfeited Outdoor Equipment and Antlers To Be Auctioned

PRATT – Wilson Realty and Auction Service of Salina will conduct a consignment auction on September 19 to sell items forfeited by the courts to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT). The auction will take place at 601 South Broadway, Salina, beginning at 10 a.m. KDWPT regularly sells items forfeited in poaching cases or agency equipment no longer in use through public auctions.

Items to be sold on September 19 include 46 guns, more than 300 mounted deer heads and antlers, boats, jet skis, deer stands, decoys, as well as other equipment from non-department sellers. A sale bill can be downloaded at www.soldbywilson.com.

KDWPT’s proceeds will be deposited into the department’s WildTrust fund and allocated to assist with special hunts for veterans and youth and hunter education.

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.

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LANDOWNER PERMISSION A MUST WHEN HUNTING PRIVATE LAND

Hunters must ask for permission before hunting on private land

PRATT – Hunters can face serious penalties for hunting on private land without landowner

permission, and however tempting a trophy-sized buck, or a pond covered in greenheads may be, the consequences will always outweigh the perceived reward. With firearm season just around the corner, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) reminds all hunters that it is illegal to hunt on private land, posted or not, without the owner's permission. Whether someone actually enters private land without permission or shoots onto it from the road or another landowner's property without permission, it is illegal.

Trespassing affects more than just the immediate parties involved. The perception of the hunting community as a whole and our hunting heritage are just a couple pieces of the puzzle affected by illegal hunting practices. Because trespassing harms landowner-hunter relations — and because the penalties for trespassing can be severe — hunters should be aware of the following trespass issues:

• landowner permission should be obtained before pursuing wounded game onto private property. If the landowner cannot be found, contact a local natural resource officer or sheriff's office;
• hunting from roads or railways without legal permission is a form of trespassing called criminal hunting;
• conviction of trespass or criminal hunting may prevent the convicted person from enjoying hunting privileges in other states. KDWPT is a member of the Wildlife Violator Compact, that includes 34 other states. Under this compact, anyone who has had hunting, fishing, or furharvesting privileges revoked or suspended in a member state cannot hunt, trap, or fish in other member states;
• conviction of simple criminal hunting can result in a maximum fine of $500, plus court costs, and one month in jail on the first conviction. Additionally, the court can suspend or revoke license privileges for up to a year. A second conviction requires at least a one-year suspension of privileges in addition to any fines or jail time;
• if big game or turkey hunting is involved, the penalties get stiffer. Upon first conviction, the law states that the violator "shall not be fined less than $500 nor more than $1,000 or be imprisoned in the county jail for not more than six months, or both." The law requires fifth and subsequent conviction penalties of a minimum $1,000 fine and minimum 90 days in jail;
• criminal trespassing is when the violator does not leave property when told;
• it is illegal to hunt on land posted with written permission signs or marked with purple paint without having written permission on one's person;
• in any of these cases, hunting privileges may also be revoked; and
• by law, all hunters must have permission whether the land is posted or not.

Kansas’ wildlife resources should not only be revered, but respected. Before a hunter contemplates hunting on private land without landowner permission, the long term and widespread affect those actions will have on the future of Kansas hunting should be considered.

If you witness trespassing or illegal hunting, report it to your local natural resource officer, sheriff's office, or call the Operation Game Thief toll-free hotline at 1-877-426-3843. A list of phone numbers for all natural resource officers, listed by counties they cover, can be found in the 2013 Kansas Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summaryavailable wherever licenses are sold, or online at www.ksoutdoors.com.

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REPORT POACHERS TOLL-FREE AND REMAIN ANONYMOUS

Operation Game Thief provides safe, fast way for citizens to help catch poachers
PRATT — You see a blatant wildlife law violation and it makes you angry, but what can you do? You assume the local game warden is miles away and couldn’t get here in time. What can you do? You follow the laws and regulations and hunting ethics are important to you, but what can you do? The answer is Operation Game Thief.
Operation Game Thief (OGT), 1-877-426-3843, is a program that provides a toll-free number for anyone witnessing wildlife-related violations to call immediately and make a report. All calls received through the OGT line are immediately relayed to the natural resource officer nearest the violation. The line is available anytime of day or night, every day of the year, and callers may remain anonymous.
Each year, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) game wardens check tens of thousands of hunters in the field, and about 96 percent of them are law-abiding. Unfortunately, many non-hunters don’t distinguish between the small percentage of those who break wildlife laws and the majority who hunt legally. KDWPT game wardens work long hours during the fall, but most have large territories to cover, and they are much more effective with help from hunters and landowners who witness illegal activity.
When reporting a wildlife crime, remember these two important reporting rules:
• never confront suspects; and
• provide as much specific information as possible, such as vehicle descriptions and license tag numbers, descriptions of people involved, locations, and the time and location the incident occurred.
OGT calls have resulted in arrests and convictions on violations ranging from public lands vandalism to deer poaching. In many cases, poachers have been arrested within minutes of the call. Even drug operations have been uncovered by alert hunters using this number. Remember, when you see someone violating wildlife laws, they are stealing from you and damaging the image of all hunters. Help bring them to justice by calling OGT at 1-877-426-3843.

MOSSY OAK EVENT LURES MONSTER BUCK POACHING SUSPECT

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Topeka man enters suspected illegally-taken deer in Monster Buck Contest
TOPEKA — On Jan. 27-29, Mossy Oak Properties of the Heartland presented the inaugural Monster Buck Classic (We are Kansas) event at the Kansas ExpoCentre in Topeka. The event was designed to promote deer hunting and outdoor recreation in Kansas and to provide Kansas hunters with the latest information and equipment related to deer hunting.

In addition, the event featured a Monster Buck Contest, open to all Kansas residents, in which hunters could enter officially-scored bucks, with prizes offered to the largest deer in typical and non-typical categories for both white-tailed and mule deer. Fortunately for all law-abiding hunters, the contest helped expose the suspected illegal shooting of a big buck.

One entry, which would have potentially been a new Kansas state record, drew suspicion of Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) law enforcement officials, and after investigation, David V. Kent was charged with poaching the deer.

On Feb. 1, eight charges were filed against Kent by Osage County Attorney Brandon Jones in the District Court of Osage County, Fourth Judicial District, including criminal discharge of a firearm, criminal hunting, illegally hunting with an artificial light, hunting outside of legal hours, illegal hunting during a closed season, using an illegal caliber for taking big game, illegal hunting from a vehicle, and hunting without a valid deer permit.

Kent has been summoned to appear in Osage County District Court in Lyndon, Kan., on March 1, 2012, at 9 a.m.

“As a developer of the Mossy Oak Properties brand in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Iowa, I strongly condemn this type of behavior,” said Brian D. Smith, CEO of Mossy Oak Properties of the Heartland and founder of the Kansas Big Buck Classic. “In fact, we believe in the stiffest penalties possible for poaching, and we played a strategic part in exposing this case. We cooperated 100 percent.”

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TOLL-FREE PHONE HOTLINE PUTS POACHERS ON HOT SEAT

Dec. 8, 2011
1-877-426-3843 makes reporting wildlife crime easy
PRATT — Each year, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) natural resource officers (NROs) check tens of thousands of hunters in the field, and about 96 percent of them are found to be law-abiding. Unfortunately, many non-hunters sometimes associate these ethical hunters with that small percentage who are not. KDWPT has 73 NROs to cover the entire state, so they need the help of hunters — and anyone else who enjoys the outdoors — to watch out for those who don't take wildlife crime seriously. Whether it’s trespassing, shooting from a vehicle on the road, any other activity that appears to be a violation of the law, KDWPT officers need your help.
The easiest way to fight wildlife crime is by phoning KDWPT's Operation Game Thief hotline, 1-877-426-3843. Using this toll-free number, concerned hunters and landowners can quickly turn in wildlife criminals simply by picking up the phone. All calls received through the Operation Game Thief line are immediately relayed to the natural resource officer nearest the violation. The line is available anytime of day or night, every day of the year, and callers may remain anonymous.
Nothing can spoil a good hunt more than poachers, who should not be considered “hunters.” Although they may seldom describe themselves as poachers, wildlife thieves are just that. These are the people who trespass, road hunt, litter, take more than their bag limit, drink while they hunt, use illegal equipment, take game out of season, take wildlife for which there is no season, or vandalize. Poachers not only damage the natural resources they should be committed to conserving, they reflect poorly on hunters in the eyes of the general public.
Operation Game Thief calls have resulted in arrests and convictions on violations ranging from public lands vandalism to deer poaching. In many cases, poachers have been arrested within minutes of the call. Even drug operations have been uncovered by alert hunters using this number.
But remember these two important reporting rules:

• never confront suspects; and
• provide as much specific information as possible, such as vehicle descriptions and license tag numbers, descriptions of people involved, locations, and the time and location the incident occurred.

Remember, when you see someone violating wildlife laws, they are stealing from you and damaging the image of legal hunters. Help bring them to justice by phoning 1-877-426-3843.

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