Reporting Poaching Violations

Poaching is the illegal harvest of any wildlife. Each year Fish and Wildlife Officers find people who shoot animals out of season, in excess of the legal bag limit, etc. A poacher is a wildlife thief.

Nobody knows exactly how many deer, elk, pheasants, or ducks are killed illegally each year, but the figure is in the thousands. The poacher is stealing wildlife that belongs to the citizens of Washington, and you can help prevent poaching activity.

If you see a poaching violation, please take the time to report it to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Do not confront a poacher. Observe the situation discreetly so you don’t risk your personal safety. Helpful information includes: date of violation; time; location; description of suspect and suspect's vehicle, especially the license plate number; and type of violation. Reports can be kept confidential, and rewards are paid on some types of violations.

Poachers can be fined and/or jailed. In addition, they may have their firearm and/or their vehicle seized and forfeited to the state, depending upon their violation. Certain types of wildlife violations result in loss of hunting privileges for a minimum of 2 years. For example, poachers who are convicted of unlawful hunting of big game in the 1st degree have their hunting privileges suspended for 10 years. For a conviction of unlawful hunting of big game in the 2nd degree, the suspension is 2 years. Individuals convicted of 3 or more wildlife violations within a 10-year period are subject to suspension of both hunting and fishing privileges for at least 2 years and up to 10 years. If you lose your hunting privileges in Washington state, you lose them in every other US state and vice versa.