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In the entire state of Colorado there are 122 District Wildlife Managers — so, wildlife needs your eyes and ears to report known or suspected violations. Poaching is a serious and costly crime. It robs legitimate sportsmen of game and fish, robs businesses and taxpayers or revenues generated by hunting and fishing, and robs all of us of a valuable natural resource — our wildlife. Operation Game Thief is strong stuff, but the crime of poaching is serious enough to merit it.

Who are the poachers?

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Poaching is surrounded by romantic myths which just aren't true. Poachers are not poor people trying to feed their families. In fact, putting food on the table is one of the least common motives for poaching. Poachers kill for the thrill of killing, to lash out at wildlife laws, or for profit. They kill wildlife any way, time and place they can. Poaching rings can be well organized and extremely profitable. In a nutshell, poachers are criminals and should be dealt with as criminals.

How the Program Works

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Calls on the Operation Game Thief hotline (toll-free within Colorado at 1-877-COLO-OGT or Verizon cell phone users can dial #OGT) , or via e-mail -- Operation Game Thief -- are taken in the Denver CPW headquarters. All information about the poaching incident is taken and the caller is assigned a code number;

The information is evaluated by the law enforcement personnel. Investigations are begun immediately and must follow the same rules and constitutional guidelines as any law enforcement investigation;

If a poacher is arrested or issued a citation on the basis of information provided by a caller, a reward is authorized;

Rewards can be paid in cash and the pay-off is arranged to protect the anonymity of the caller;

Rewards will be paid only if the informant states that a reward is desired prior to any investigation. Actually, most wildlife enthusiasts don't want a reward -- they just want the criminals stopped!

Please Help Stop Poaching

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You can help stop poaching. If you see a poaching incident, report it. Look at it this way: if you saw someone breaking into your neighbor's house, would you just stand by and watch? Of course not; you would report it. Poaching is a crime against you, your neighbor, and everyone else in the state of Colorado. Call 1-877-COLO-OGT toll-free or Verizon cell phone users can just dial #OGT. If you'd like, you can e-mail us at Operation Game Thief.

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Yes. No one knows the exact figures, but studies indicate poachers may kill almost as many animals and fish as legitimate hunters take during legal seasons. If poachers kill even half that number each year, the problem is serious. Poachers do not confine their killing only to game animals. Threatened, endangered and nongame wildlife show up in the poacher's bag as well.

Does it work?

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Yes. Operation Game Thief was pioneered by the new Mexico Department of Game and Fish and has been adopted by 49 of the 50 states, including Colorado. Since 1981, Colorado's Operation Game Thief has received more than 2,400 reports of poaching, resulting in more than 700 convictions. These convictions have netted over $600,000 in fines and have resulted in the seizure of more than 1,300 illegally-taken animals. During this period, almost $130,000 in rewards has been paid to citizens who reported suspected illegal activity.

What to look for

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Poaching is the illegal taking or possession of any game, fish or nongame wildlife. Hunting out of season or at night using spotlights, or taking more than their legal limit, are obvious signs of poaching. Non-residents buying resident licenses is a violation that also impacts wildlife management.

Provide all the information you can. We need the violation date and time; as exact a location as possible; a description of the violation; number of shots heard; type of weapon, etc; the number of suspects; names and/or identifying features such as age, height, hair color, clothes, etc; a vehicle description including type, year, color and license number. Include any other information you think may be pertinent to the case.

If you know how a poached animal is being transported, or where it is being stored, tell us.

Remember, try to get the information to us as soon as possible. Any delay may mean we might not catch the bad guys!

You can also help by contributing

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You can also help by contributing to the reward fund which makes the program possible. Make checks out to Operation Game Thief and send your tax deductible contribution to: Operation Game Thief, c/o Parks and Wildlife, 6060 Broadway, Denver, CO 80216. Remember, the reward fund depends on your contributions. With your help, something can and will be done about poaching.

People who turn in poachers may receive preference points or even licenses in some cases. Find out more from the Turn in Poachers (TIP) program.