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Poachers are not hunters.
They are thieves stealing from YOU! |
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Life-like decoys are used to catch poachers. |
Forensic technology is used to gather evidence in most cases.
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The WILDLIFE ASSETS PROGRAM holds an annual silent auction at the International Sportsman's Expo at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Proceeds protect wildlife resources by supporting law enforcement activities to deter and punish poachers and other violators.
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REWARDS are offered in certain cases from $50-$8,000, or more
for information leading to the arrest of wildlife
violators. Many states require a conviction
before a reward can be offered. Not so in
Arizona. If the information provided is enough
to warrant a citation or physical arrest, rewards will be paid immediately. If desired,
the reward will be offered confidentially.
Funding for rewards comes from fines and civil
penalties assessed to the poachers. In essence,
the bad guys are paying the good guys for
the crimes they commit.
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The phone number on this page is only for reporting hunting and fishing violations. For all other inquiries please call Customer Service.
OPERATION GAME THIEF (OGT) is a silent witness program that allows
people to call in on a toll free hotline, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to report
wildlife violations. Poaching is serious business
in Arizona. There are limited commissioned
officers in the Arizona Game and Fish Department
and many of these officers only do enforcement
part-time. The Department relies on the
citizens of Arizona to assist in the reduction
of wildlife violations.
POACHERS are thieves, and they are stealing from the
citizens of Arizona. They are jeopardizing
the future of wildlife resources in this state, and are severely impacting hunting opportunities in Arizona.
This adversely effects everyone, not only
residents, but those that come to Arizona
to hunt and fish, or simply enjoy the beauty
of this state.
CALLERS will be kept CONFIDENTIAL if they so desire. This program began in 1979
and is the second oldest in the country providing
a long record of proven credibility. Last
year almost 720 calls were received on the
hotline that resulted in cases being forwarded
to officers.
CELLULAR PHONE calls to the OGT hotline have proven to be
extremely beneficial. An officer's chances
of apprehending the violator while he is
still in the woods is greatly enhanced when
the
offense is reported immediately. Most calls
to the Operation Game Thief hotline are
now TOLL-FREE.
If your service is provided by either Verizon
or Alltell, simply dial # HUNT and you
will be connected to the hotline.
THE HOTLINE has long tentacles. A caller may place a toll-free
call not only within Arizona, but
also from its border states that include Utah,
New Mexico, Nevada and the southern half of California. The hotline is manned 24-7, 365 days a year.
REPORTED VIOLATIONS are usually handled on a priority basis. Because the Department has limited commissioned officers statewide, it is not possible to have an immediate response to every call. All violations receive the highest priority and every attempt is made to immediately dispatch an officer to the scene. Even still, officers have extraordinarily large patrol areas in addition to other responsibilities, and it is not always possible for an immediate response to a violation. This is why it is important that you act as a GOOD WITNESS so that follow-up by an officer can be conducted. Although an immediate response is not always possible, rest assured that your call and assistance is still important.
All reporting violations are logged, tracked, and analyzed for trend data to determine violation hot-spots. Special projects, patrols, or criminal investigations are conducted directly as a result of the trend data. No matter the degree of the reported violation, your tip usually makes the difference on whether a violator will be apprehended.
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