Is increased poaching in the Arizona region caused by a financial factor? Or is it some other phenomenon that has Arizona’s wildlife on the run. Check out the article below from the AZ republic and let us know what you think.

PHOENIX – The nation’s crummy economy may be claiming a new class of victims: Arizona’s wildlife.

State Game and Fish agents are not certain of the reason, but they’ve seen a dramatic spike in complaints about wildlife violations and poaching in the past year, and they think an unfavorable economy may have something to do with it.

Their theory: At a time when many Arizonans find themselves in a financial squeeze, some have resorted to the illegal taking of edible game for food, while others are killing for profit. A third group actually may be reporting violators in hopes of getting financial rewards, which also could help explain the notable increase in reports of violations.

Whatever the reason, this much is clear: There were 768 reports of Game and Fish violations in 2009, up 70 percent from 2008 and more than double the year before that. In 2009, the state also paid a record amount in rewards to people who tipped investigators to violations.

State law covers a wide swath of violations, from exceeding fishing limits to shooting deer out of season. Even oddities like people shooting cattle are included.

The biggest chunk of last year’s violations, more than 400, were complaints of illegal big-game killings of deer, elk, black bears, antelope, even a bighorn sheep.

Although there is no clear reason for the increase, Officer Ken Dinquel, head of the state Game and Fish Department program that handles the calls, said that hard times can increase “subsistence poaching” by people looking for cheap food. And when money is tight, the rewards for turning in possible violators may look more attractive as well, explaining the record reward payouts last year.

Also, there is an illicit and lucrative market for things like animal horns, trophy heads, even bear gallbladders, which are sometimes sold as aphrodisiacs.

Game and Fish has about 75 officers around the state who handle violations of the wildlife statutes, but Dinquel said they all have other duties, so tips are appreciated. Dinquel and others involved in enforcing hunting and fishing laws believe there is a lot more poaching that is not detected.

In Arizona, it is easy for people to get into the backcountry quickly from urban areas. It is equally easy for people who live near the state lines to hop into the next state to hunt illegally.

Citing wildlife statistics, the Humane Society of the United States says that for every one of the tens of millions of animals killed legally every year, another is killed illegally. Meanwhile, the group estimates that only 1 percent to 5 percent of poachers are caught.

The Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact lets its more than 30 members suspend or revoke wildlife licenses of people who violate the law in member states. Arizona is a member.

Violators in Arizona are subject to loss of hunting privileges, fines and sometimes jail time. The state can add thousands of dollars in civil penalties if the poached animal is a trophy animal, Dinquel said.

“Frankly, we have some guys paying us 10 or 20 bucks a month for the rest of their lives,” he said.

Terry Herndon, a Phoenix-area hunting guide, believes some of those violators are commercial poachers looking to sell the meat.

Herndon suggested making penalties much more severe, like taking violators’ guns away, seizing their cars and confiscating any property used in breaking the law.

Courtesy of AZ Daily Star