Fish and Wildlife Officers are asking for your help as hunting season approaches to keep an eye out for suspicious and illegal hunting activity and to report it immediately.
You can call the 24-hour Report A Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800 to report poaching. The number is also the same line you can call to report a bear in town or threatening a home.
Fish and Wildlife Officers are encouraging you to get to know what the rules are for hunting and fishing in our area so that it’s easier to identify when someone is hunting illegally.
Some general illegal hunting activity to watch for includes:
- hunting out of season
- hunting at night
- hunting on private land without permission
- exceeding bag limits
- selling wildlife or fish illegally
- hunting in a dangerous manner (while intoxicated, too close to occupied buildings or shooting from roadways)
- using illegal gear
“While ethical hunters are people who care about our province’s fish and wildlife and hunt with respect for the measures that are in place to conserve these species, poachers break these laws and take our natural resources for granted,” Fish and Wildlife said in a release. “Alberta’s fish and wildlife don’t belong to any one person, and that is something poachers seem to forget.”
All members of the public can play a role in protecting fish and wildlife resources and the natural surroundings by observing the activity around you.
The Report A Poacher line can be used to report suspicious hunting and fishing activity, dangerous wildlife encounters as well as serious public land abuse.
Any personal information can remain confidential, and the caller can always remain anonymous. Furthermore, callers may be eligible for a cash reward for the information they provide.
When you call the Report a Poacher line, you’re asked to be ready to provide as many details as you can.
The following information will go a long way towards helping officers apprehend the suspect:
- date, time and location of the event
- details about the violation
- description of the people
- licence plate number of the vehicle
- distinguishing details about the vehicle make, model, colour and any dents or stickers
Every year, Fish and Wildlife Officers issue approximately 2,000 to 2,500 enforcement actions for poaching offences under the Wildlife Act and thousands more for fisheries violations.
Learn more at albertaregulations.ca.
