On a cool fall morning in October 2023 eager duck hunters were set up in blinds along the bank of the Snake River at Duck Point near American Falls. Suddenly multiple gunshots were heard by several hunting groups, drawing attention on a slow morning. Multiple witnesses watched two tundra swans fly from where the shots […]

When it comes to poaching Idaho’s wildlife, many concerned citizens are saying, “Enough is enough!”  And they are doing something about it. “Tips from the public are invaluable,” said Jordan Costner, District Conservation Officer of Salmon. “Our officers cannot be everywhere at once, so reports from the public help with many cases that may go undetected.” […]

In 2022, Idaho Fish and Game Officers received an anonymous tip through the Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) hotline stating that there was a suspect with a fresh trophy mule deer head and it wasn’t hunting season. Later that same day a second CAP hotline call came in regarding a headless mule deer buck in the […]

In early January, IDFG conservation officers and regional wildlife biologists responded to a Citizens Against Poaching call of a live mountain lion in a foothold trap near the Nevada line in Owyhee County. They successfully sedated, collared, and released the lion. Further investigation revealed evidence of illegal trapping activity exceeding the mandatory 72-hour check. Officers monitored […]

BOISE — Multiple seasons of elk poaching have caught up to two men who now face jail time, hunting license revocations and thousands of dollars in fines and restitution. In September 2016, Jonathan Blaschka, 36, of Mountain Home and his companion Charles McCall, 41, of Mountain Home gunned down two bull elk during an archery-only […]