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Social media page in the fight against poaching |
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October 28, 2014 |
Several recent poaching cases are catching the
attention of Facebook users who follow the
Citizens Against Poaching page; a trophy mule
deer shot before rifle season in Caribou County,
two five-point bull elk shot out of season in
Owyhee County, five mule deer with backstraps
removed; left to waste in Homedale. The list
goes on.
Some of these cases are stirring a great deal of
emotion in wildlife lovers who are angry about
these crimes. While social media allows Citizens
Against Poaching to expose these cases more
effectively, this is not necessarily a sign of
an increase in poaching.
“With millions of acres of habitat here in
Idaho, along with abundant wildlife, people who
choose to steal fish and wildlife from the
people of Idaho have plenty of opportunity,”
said Assistant Chief of Enforcement Chris Wright
“Poaching has been a problem here from the day
our agency was created 75 years ago. In the 21st
century we hope tools like social media might
actually help reduce poaching incidents.”
Citizens Against Poaching offers cash rewards to
callers who provide information leading to the
citation of suspected poachers. Callers may
collect a reward while remaining anonymous.
“Many true sportsmen would help us solve cases
regardless of the reward,” said Wright, “But it
is a good added incentive for some people.”
Social media is proving to be a highly effective
way to spread the word about these crimes. The
Facebook post showing those five mule deer left
to waste in Homedale was shared 582 times. As a
result, it has reached more than 32,600 Facebook
users.
“This is one of several Facebook posts receiving
a great deal of attention on the CAP Facebook
page,” said Public Information Specialist Steve
Liebenthal. “With so much exposure, we are
hopeful that one of those 32,000 people might
have that one piece of information that will
help us crack this case.”
The Citizens Against Poaching Facebook page can
be found at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Citizens-Against-Poaching/136539993034008?ref=hl#!/pages/Citizens-Against-Poaching/136539993034008
We ask users to be aware of our guidelines and
refrain from offensive language, even when a
photograph or description of a crime might cause
anger. Posts and comments
not complying with the posted guidelines are
deleted. Followers who repeatedly ignore the
guidelines will be blocked from access to the
page.
“We really want to encourage people to join the
conversation and speak their minds,” said
Liebenthal. “At the same time, we want to keep
it family friendly, so that everyone has that
opportunity without the risk of being offended,
or having their children see or read something
inappropriate.”
Anyone with information about a case posted on
the page, or any crime against Idaho’s wildlife
is encouraged to call the CAP hotline at
1-800-632-5999.
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