Obey the Law
This seems simple, and yet hunting laws are repeatedly violated. An ethical hunter will not rationalize the breaking of a law in order to do what they want. Know the laws for the state, territory or country you are going to have your hunt. Ultimately, it is the hunter who is responsible for the hunt. Any violation, intentional or not, comes with consequences the hunter will have to face. Hunting violations can result in the loss of one’s hunting privilege temporarily or for life.
"A peculiar virtue in wildlife ethics is that the hunter ordinarily has no gallery to applaud or disapprove of his conduct. Whatever his acts, they are dictated by his own conscience, rather than by a mob of onlookers. It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of this fact." —Aldo Leopold
In Arizona, use Operation Game Thief to report hunting violations. If a violation results from your action, use the Operation Game Thief (1-800-352-0700) to self-report.
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Video Transcript
Transcript for AZGFD Poaching PSA
Officer Scott Fischer, Arizona Game & Fish Department: Hello, I’m Officer Fischer with the Arizona Game & Fish Department. I manage our department’s Operation Game Thief Program. That’s our silent witness program where you can call and help us solve wildlife crimes, poachers or wildlife violators that willfully and illegally take game or fish.
Poachers are thieves that are stealing Arizona’s most precious natural resource—its wildlife. If you see something or have any information regarding any wildlife violation across the state, call our toll-free Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-352-0700.
On screen:
Arizona Game & Fish logo
Operation Game Thief
24 Hours a Day, Seven Days a Week
1-800-352-0700
All calls will remain confidential and can be made anonymously upon request. Rewards of a maximum of up to $8,000 are available for information leading to an arrest. Poachers are thieves—plain and simple. You can help us catch them by calling our Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-352-0700. Dispatchers are available 24 hours a day to take your phone call.
On screen: Arizona Game & Fish logo
The Arizona Game and Fish Department realizes that with the hundreds of thousands of hunters that take to the field each year there are bound to be some unfortunate circumstances that may occur. While accidents are infrequent, they do occur to honest hunters every year. When accidents happen it is critical you notify the department as soon as possible.
Call the Operation Game Thief hotline immediately following the accident, and follow the instructions provided by the operator. A wildlife manager will be dispatched to the scene to assist you. In almost all cases, the meat from animals involved in a self-reported violation will be donated to a charitable organization. Every animal needs to be treated as if you are going to consume it yourself.