Editorial: Game wardens need help

Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007 | 7:03 a.m.

A major problem in our national parks is also becoming a major problem in Nevada. A New York Times reporter recently spent time in the Elko and Ely areas, where he learned from state Wildlife Department officials that elk, deer, antelope, big-horned sheep and other animals are being killed illegally in record numbers.

The Times article, reprinted Tuesday in the Las Vegas Sun, said state wildlife officials found the remains of 135 poached animals between 2005 and early December 2006. Those remains, of course, were just those that were found. It is unknown how many animals were actually killed by people hunting without tags and out of season.

Poachers interfere with the state's program to ensure that legitimate hunters will encounter big-game animals in sustainable numbers. Last year 25,893 people requested elk tags, but the state issued only 2,254 in an attempt to protect the animal from being overhunted.

Infuriating to legitimate hunters is that most poachers want only one thing - antlers to sell over the Internet or to mount in their homes. They leave the rest of the carcass behind.

Nevada is not alone among Western states in hiring only a handful of game wardens to cover vast amounts of territory. One man interviewed by the Times said that in 35 years of hunting in Nevada he had encountered a game warden only twice.

This means that game wardens need help from the public to catch poachers, who face steep fines, jail sentences and forfeiture of any vehicles and equipment used in their kills if they are caught. Anyone who finds evidence of poaching or witnesses the crime may anonymously call a toll-free number maintained by the state - (800) 992-3030.