WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.440 --> 00:00:04.280 Welcome to More Outdoors on News Talk five sixty KLVI. 2 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:08.320 This is Chester Moore. Poaching has always been something that 3 00:00:08.439 --> 00:00:11.080 I have wanted to raise awareness to because poaching is 4 00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:15.240 the antithesis of legal hunting. It is killing animals without 5 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:19.399 regard for science, for management, for population levels. And over 6 00:00:19.399 --> 00:00:22.600 the last few years, I have been on an ongoing 7 00:00:22.679 --> 00:00:25.640 quest to raise awareness and an investigation of what I 8 00:00:25.719 --> 00:00:28.760 call the teen poaching crisis. In the first half of 9 00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:31.359 the show, we're going to talk about that crisis. In 10 00:00:31.399 --> 00:00:33.920 the second half, we're going to have an interview with 11 00:00:33.960 --> 00:00:36.679 a game warden that will blow your mind about a 12 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:40.920 poaching ring that was just busted. Dolphins are one of 13 00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:45.679 America's most beloved animals, from flipper thrilling families on television 14 00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:49.719 the nineteen sixties to modern day dolphin encounters the aquariums 15 00:00:49.719 --> 00:00:53.679 and resorts. The love affair families have with dolphins is 16 00:00:53.719 --> 00:00:57.119 a strong one. So when game wardens in Orange County, 17 00:00:57.159 --> 00:01:00.799 Texas have found a dead dolphin impaled by a fishing arrow, 18 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:05.519 it sent shockwaves across national media outlets. This happened in 19 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:09.400 my hometown, so a couple of days after the incident, 20 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:13.120 I spoke with the local game board. He revealed the 21 00:01:13.159 --> 00:01:16.959 type of fishing broadhead used in the incident was only 22 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:21.400 sold at one location in the region, a popular archery shop. 23 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:25.200 He said, quote that has really narrowed down our search. 24 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:29.079 We'll find out who did this, he said. What official 25 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:33.159 did not expect was that the perpetrators were two teenage 26 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:37.120 brothers who, while both fishing, came across a young dolphin 27 00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:41.519 that had wandered into fresh water. So, instead of enjoying 28 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:45.239 seeing the beautiful protected marine mammal and reporting it was 29 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:49.560 in an unusual area, they killed it. This happened only 30 00:01:49.640 --> 00:01:52.400 a few miles from my home in twenty fifteen and 31 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:55.680 opened my eyes to a problem few in our industry 32 00:01:55.760 --> 00:02:00.319 have discussed. In my opinion, America has a tar keeen 33 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:04.959 poaching crisis that needs to be addressed in a major way, 34 00:02:05.480 --> 00:02:09.840 and it's very, very dark. Less than a year later, 35 00:02:09.960 --> 00:02:13.159 a team from Jefferson County, just one county over, was 36 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:17.319 charged for killing two whooping cranes. A judge ordered the 37 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:20.639 nineteen year old to pay twenty six thousand in restitution, 38 00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:24.599 barred him from owning or possession of firearms or ammunition, 39 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:28.639 and prohibited him from hunting or fishing in the United States. 40 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:32.800 He was also sentenced to two hundred hours of community service. 41 00:02:33.639 --> 00:02:38.120 Shortly after this made headlines, I asked a Galveston County 42 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:41.719 game warden if she had noticed any trends in game 43 00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:47.960 and fish violations among teenagers. The answer blew me away quote, Yes, 44 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:52.280 they need to stop killing our eagles. Take for example, 45 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:55.919 a seventeen year old Harris County, Texas boy who was 46 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:59.120 charging connection with the shooting of a bald eagle near 47 00:02:59.240 --> 00:03:02.080 White Oak. By you, it was one of a pair 48 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:05.800 that actively nested in the area for several years. A 49 00:03:05.879 --> 00:03:10.199 bald eagle the symbol of the United States of America. Yes, 50 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:15.400 a bald eagle. The most heinous instance of eagle poaching 51 00:03:15.479 --> 00:03:19.800 came from the Pacific Northwest Washington, Fish and Wildlife police 52 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:24.759 said a Sheriff's department officer found evidence of teens purposely 53 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:28.919 hunting for and poaching eagles. This is a quote from 54 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:33.879 an official press release. Officer Bolton and the deputy searched 55 00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:38.560 the area for downed wildlife and soon discovered a relatively 56 00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:42.800 fresh dough deer on the hillside near where the suspects 57 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:47.199 had parked four older deer carcasses In various stages of 58 00:03:47.240 --> 00:03:51.680 decomposition were found in the same location. The officers learned 59 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:54.240 that one of the young men shot the dough the 60 00:03:54.360 --> 00:03:59.039 night before by using a high powered spotlight. The animal 61 00:03:59.479 --> 00:04:02.680 was then near the other carcasses in an effort to 62 00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:08.280 bait in and shoot eagles. That's not an incident of 63 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:12.840 an impulsive act of game law violations. That's a calculated 64 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:17.800 effort that involves multiple poaching incidents to purposely kill eagles, 65 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:21.839 most likely for the black market trade and their claws 66 00:04:21.839 --> 00:04:26.600 and feathers. Over the last eight years now, multiple other 67 00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:31.079 incidents involving teens killing eagles have occurred across the country. 68 00:04:31.480 --> 00:04:34.720 But it's not just eagles and dolphins. An eighteen year 69 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:38.839 old and a twenty three year old we're charged with capturing, harassing, 70 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:44.160 and harming three endangered key deer, the smallest subspecies of whitetail, 71 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:48.839 which is also a federally endangered species. According to a 72 00:04:48.920 --> 00:04:52.319 report at Local ten dot com, the eighteen year old 73 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:55.720 said he lured three of them with food, restrained them, 74 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:58.279 and put them in the car in a plan to 75 00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:01.720 take pictures with them. All three deer had to be 76 00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:06.000 euthanized due to broken legs, An article at go hunt 77 00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:10.560 dot com details two high school age males are guilty 78 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:14.519 of poaching ten mule deer in Macombe County, Montana. 79 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:15.439 Quote. 80 00:05:15.639 --> 00:05:19.399 According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the deer were 81 00:05:19.480 --> 00:05:24.199 killed with a shotgun using loads typically used for pheasants. 82 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:27.279 All of the deer were discovered on a two mile 83 00:05:27.399 --> 00:05:31.759 stretch near Road five twenty eight in northern Macombe County. 84 00:05:32.600 --> 00:05:36.560 Not to be outdone, four Pennsylvania teenagers went on a 85 00:05:36.600 --> 00:05:41.439 white tail poaching spree that one wildlife official called, quote 86 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:46.040 one of the most disturbing incidents he's ever seen. Two 87 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:50.439 seventeen year olds and one boy age sixteen killed at 88 00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:54.480 least thirty deer by spotlighting with the headlamp or their 89 00:05:54.519 --> 00:05:58.199 car lights, exiting the vehicle in the deer rich area, 90 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:02.639 and opening fire. Officials said they probably wounded many more 91 00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:06.920 than could be accounted for. Quote. It was almost like 92 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:10.480 a video game for them. They did it because they 93 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:15.040 were bored, said Clinton Deneker, a wildlife conservation officer with 94 00:06:15.079 --> 00:06:19.360 the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and a press release issued after 95 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:23.959 the Grizzly incident, there is no telling how many deer 96 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:26.800 were killed or wounded, he said, adding that he can 97 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:30.839 account for at least thirty. A twenty twenty incident in 98 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:34.839 Wisconsin involved multiple teens over the course of a month, 99 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:38.800 killing forty white tails and one horse, all of them 100 00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:42.600 were left to rot, and there were numerous other incidents 101 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:46.439 involving dozens of deer and other game killed in similar 102 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:50.600 sprees by teens all around the nation. This is not 103 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:54.120 an indictment of teens. It's not one of those diatribes 104 00:06:54.120 --> 00:06:56.680 we often hear in our culture, like the kids these 105 00:06:56.759 --> 00:07:00.480 days are rotten. I dedicate much of my life working 106 00:07:00.519 --> 00:07:03.240 with teens. I believe in them and think there are 107 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:06.160 things about the current crop up teams that shows incredible 108 00:07:06.199 --> 00:07:10.279 promise for our future. But this team poaching thing has 109 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:14.600 to be addressed, and it has to start with an admission. Most, 110 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:18.199 if not all, of these teens came from hunting families. 111 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:22.040 While we as hunters rightfully to note that poaching and 112 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:26.920 hunting are actually radically different practices, these kids are familiar 113 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:31.480 with game firearms, and in several instances we're engaged in 114 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:36.199 legal hunting activities when an opportunity to poach came along. 115 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:40.600 That means somewhere down the line, we have to for 116 00:07:40.680 --> 00:07:43.279 those of us in the hunting community talk about this 117 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:47.279 issue and find ways to engage it. But we need 118 00:07:47.319 --> 00:07:51.120 to ask some questions first. How much does parental influence 119 00:07:51.160 --> 00:07:54.199 play into this? There is no question some of these 120 00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:58.439 cases involve a long line of game law violations generationally. 121 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:02.600 Twenty nineteen case from Alaska as a prime example, as 122 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:05.199 a father and his seventeen year old son killed a 123 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:09.040 mother bear and her two babies and a den. What 124 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:12.120 they didn't realize was the bear had a GPS collar 125 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:15.920 on it and a camera to monitor their hibernation habits, 126 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:19.560 so they got busted in short order. A father who 127 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:22.319 raised his son or daughter to go to the level 128 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:26.240 of killing baby bears in a den shows authority figures 129 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:30.319 can play a large role influencing teen poaching, but it's 130 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:34.960 not the entire answer. Social media notoriety in our culture, 131 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:38.120 some of the most famous people are now famous for 132 00:08:38.279 --> 00:08:44.080 only doing something famous or controversial. They haven't actually accomplished anything, 133 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:47.919 but those who are broken laws or done immoral things 134 00:08:48.200 --> 00:08:52.399 and publicize them on social media are famous. Is there 135 00:08:52.440 --> 00:08:57.000 a link between social media celebrity in teen poaching? A 136 00:08:57.080 --> 00:09:00.480 twenty twenty Texas case was solved because as a team 137 00:09:00.519 --> 00:09:03.919 that poached to deer that was well known living in 138 00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:08.879 a neighborhood bragged about it on Facebook. Officials believe the 139 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:14.360 aforementioned Pennsylvania teen deer massacre was being communicated behind the 140 00:09:14.440 --> 00:09:18.279 scenes through Snapchat. Something else to look at is the 141 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:23.240 power of suggestion. Social media and traditional outdoors media outlets 142 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:27.879 have unfortunately been a place for dark sentiment regarding wildlife. 143 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:30.600 While we can agree that much of the quote green 144 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:33.840 movement has little to do with actually protecting the environment, 145 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:37.799 some of the rhetoric rallying against it is quite dark 146 00:09:38.360 --> 00:09:41.480 and is hauntingly similar to things we're seeing play out 147 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:44.320 in some of these team cases. A few years back, 148 00:09:44.679 --> 00:09:48.320 I encountered several people who use social media and at 149 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:53.399 least one outdoors radio program to suggest shooting dolphins as 150 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:57.440 a cure for ailing flounder populations. And when we come back, 151 00:09:57.480 --> 00:10:03.080 we'll talk more about this special investigation of poach. Welcome 152 00:10:03.080 --> 00:10:06.320 back to More Outdoors on News Talk five sixty KLVII. 153 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:10.080 This is Chester Moore talking about an ugly issue in 154 00:10:10.120 --> 00:10:13.440 the outdoors, poaching, and we've been talking about what I 155 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:18.240 call the teen poaching crisis, a phenomenon that I literally 156 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:21.200 am the only one that is addressed. I mean, we've 157 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:24.559 had stories about it here there in terms of isolated events, 158 00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:27.480 but I'm linking these things together. And if you have 159 00:10:27.559 --> 00:10:30.759 any feedback on what I'm calling the teen poaching crisis, 160 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:34.720 please message me at chesteratchestermore dot com. I would love 161 00:10:34.759 --> 00:10:36.960 to hear from you. This was a quote from an 162 00:10:36.960 --> 00:10:39.679 email I got when I responded to this on my 163 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:43.240 social media quote. They are always out there in the 164 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:46.240 past is flipping those flounders out of the water and 165 00:10:46.279 --> 00:10:49.879 eating them, So we should start killing some of the dolphins. 166 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:57.000 End quote. Interestingly, this radio program that said this broadcasted 167 00:10:57.159 --> 00:11:02.279 in the area where the teens shot the dolphin. This idea, 168 00:11:02.360 --> 00:11:04.799 by the way, gained a large enough following that I 169 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:09.159 received multiple emails and social media messages about it. I 170 00:11:09.159 --> 00:11:12.000 don't know how many times I've heard things like while 171 00:11:12.440 --> 00:11:17.320 meat tastes like bald eagle or spotted owl. Those comments 172 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:20.120 aren't funny and could be damaging to the cause of 173 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:23.039 hunting uttered in front of a non hunter, but could 174 00:11:23.080 --> 00:11:27.159 they also influence teams who want to impress adults. It's 175 00:11:27.159 --> 00:11:30.840 something to ponder. Games are also something that needs looked at. 176 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:34.080 A few years ago, I received a hunting video game 177 00:11:34.120 --> 00:11:36.759 to review in the mail. I'm not a gamer, and 178 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:39.960 since it was unsolicited, I did not review it. But 179 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:43.279 when I came across this team Poaching crisis, I studied 180 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:47.399 the game. The game had multiple opportunities to kill non 181 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:52.080 game and even endangered animals. Some hunting games are very ethical, 182 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:54.960 with bag limits, seasons, and other aspects of how true 183 00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:59.000 hunters conduct themselves. I would even say most hunting games 184 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:01.240 I have seen are not set up in a way 185 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:05.279 that are negative toward animals. But there's another side to it. 186 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:09.480 There are some games based on survival that have nothing 187 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:12.519 to do with hunting and killing animals as part of it. 188 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:17.399 This includes non game protected and endangered animals, And it 189 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:19.879 makes me circle back to the quote from the warden 190 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:22.879 in the charge of the Pennsylvania case quote it was 191 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:26.360 almost like a video game for them. They did it 192 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:30.960 because they were bored end quote. Looking into the content 193 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:34.159 of first person shooter games is certainly something we should 194 00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:37.000 do as families, and maybe for those of us who 195 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:40.320 work in the hunting industry start looking more seriously at it. 196 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:44.840 There is obviously a gap somewhere in wildlife education and 197 00:12:44.919 --> 00:12:48.399 awareness of the penalties for these kinds of atrocities. Teens 198 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:51.679 have had their lives uprooted by the consequences of these 199 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:55.440 senseless actions. The great news is there are more teens 200 00:12:55.519 --> 00:12:59.039 engaged in conservation than there are poaching, and it's time 201 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:03.240 we highlight them even more in media outlets like this one. 202 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:07.519 The Houston Safari Club Foundation education work with Houston and 203 00:13:07.639 --> 00:13:10.919 area school districts is a shining example. Teens get to 204 00:13:10.919 --> 00:13:14.919 see conservation centric hunting information and are inspired to give 205 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:19.360 back to our natural resources. Programs like Texas Brigades often 206 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:22.279 do a great job of instilling a conservation ethic. I 207 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:25.000 have personally been inspired to see how mentoring can help 208 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:29.679 teens through our Higher Calling Wildlife expeditions and mentoring program, 209 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:34.720 and one particular occurrence touches directly on this issue. I 210 00:13:34.759 --> 00:13:37.919 took fourteen year old Nathan Childis on a quote green 211 00:13:38.039 --> 00:13:41.720 hunt for Nubian ibex at a friend's ranch. Instead of 212 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:44.399 a standard rifle, he had a dart gun and the 213 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:47.240 mission was to dart the massive ibex billy that had 214 00:13:47.320 --> 00:13:50.639 jump the fence and gotten into another pasture. After a 215 00:13:50.679 --> 00:13:54.639 long afternoon of hunting, Nathan made a perfect shot. He 216 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:58.080 got to inoculate the Ibex against Disease post with some 217 00:13:58.120 --> 00:14:01.240 cold photos with it, and helped move it to another pasture. 218 00:14:01.840 --> 00:14:04.559 As the sun set on the Texas Hill Country that evening, 219 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:09.279 Nathan said something profound quote, when people teach you the 220 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:11.840 right way to hunt and you get to do things 221 00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:14.639 like this, you want to do the right thing to 222 00:14:14.759 --> 00:14:18.720 honor that. I will never poach animals because I respect 223 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:21.240 them too much and want to make sure kids ten 224 00:14:21.320 --> 00:14:25.519 years from now can have opportunities like I just had 225 00:14:26.039 --> 00:14:30.519 end quote. We can have more testimonies like this, like 226 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:34.600 Nathan's testimony if we invest more time and effort not 227 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:39.399 only into youth education but mentorship. But we also have 228 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:42.120 to dig into what is happening with teens in this 229 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:47.519 poaching crisis raging across America. Something is influencing teens and 230 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:51.519 not only damage wildlife populations and tarn us to reputation 231 00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:56.480 of legal hunters, but it also damages their lives. As 232 00:14:56.519 --> 00:15:00.080 an industry that I'm part of, we must confront it 233 00:15:00.120 --> 00:15:02.799 is for the sake of the future of wildlife in 234 00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:05.600 our youth. And there's a lot more to poaching, of course, 235 00:15:05.639 --> 00:15:08.360 in this team poaching crisis, and I recently had the 236 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:12.000 opportunity to interview a game warden from New York on 237 00:15:12.039 --> 00:15:15.320 one of the most shocking poaching incidents I've ever heard. 238 00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:20.360 I recently came across a shocking poaching situation that law 239 00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:24.360 enforcement officials made a case on in New York and 240 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:29.240 it is absolutely incredible and not in a good way. 241 00:15:29.480 --> 00:15:32.360 The good part of it is the great work of 242 00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:35.159 the law enforcement officials of the New York Department of 243 00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:39.159 Environmental Conservation and joining us on the program, I have 244 00:15:39.320 --> 00:15:42.519 Captain Joshua Verhague and we're going to talk about this 245 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:46.799 shocking case. How did wildlife officials first become aware of 246 00:15:46.840 --> 00:15:48.080 this scheme of what was going on? 247 00:15:49.559 --> 00:15:53.039 So in the area, we have a couple of wildlife 248 00:15:53.039 --> 00:16:01.159 photographers that were recording through their lenses deer in the area. 249 00:16:01.879 --> 00:16:04.399 And in this part of New York State, the area 250 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:09.440 is closed completely for safety reasons to hunting. And with that, 251 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:13.799 as majority of your listeners probably know, if there's no hunting, 252 00:16:14.679 --> 00:16:18.399 deer have the opportunity to grow big and abundant. So 253 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:22.240 even though it is in a suburban setting, there's still 254 00:16:22.360 --> 00:16:25.120 enough small patches of woods that the deer have the 255 00:16:25.159 --> 00:16:33.039 opportunity to reach some max potentials. So through that these 256 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:37.720 photographers were noticing some other people come into the area 257 00:16:39.240 --> 00:16:43.960 as well as as time has progressed and more and 258 00:16:43.960 --> 00:16:46.759 more with shed hunting and people become aware of shed 259 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:51.279 hunting online social media groups, through the wildlife photographers and 260 00:16:51.320 --> 00:16:55.519 the shed hunting social media groups. Really we're putting it 261 00:16:55.559 --> 00:16:57.360 out there that hey, look what I found, Look what 262 00:16:57.399 --> 00:17:02.759 I'm seeing. And so between those two is the individual 263 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:07.599 started noticing gut piles as well as an other suspicious 264 00:17:07.640 --> 00:17:10.440 activity and that was reported to us. 265 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:14.480 All right, so there was you know, in the press 266 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:19.640 release mentioned this this online part of this. So these 267 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:23.960 people were kind of infiltrating online groups of photographers and 268 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:26.039 maybe shed hunters to get intel. 269 00:17:26.119 --> 00:17:34.480 Basically, yeah, correct, specifically they were part of a shed 270 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:39.240 hunting social media group. One of the individuals took it 271 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:44.000 to the next step to really analyze the size of 272 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:52.240 box by creating a fake wildlife photographer social media account 273 00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:57.799 to get into that group and really see what was 274 00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:01.880 out there. And so they commonsense was being done from 275 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:05.440 a remote setting, and what more of a better avenue 276 00:18:05.480 --> 00:18:09.799 than wildlife photographers taking pictures of one hundred and sixty 277 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:13.640 one hundred and eighty inch deer, and you could say 278 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:17.680 at wherever they were looking at the size of these deer. 279 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:22.519 It had been going on for a while. Unfortunately, with 280 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:26.759 statute of limitations after the fact, we were limited on 281 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:31.559 the enforcement. We did have other violations going beyond the statute, 282 00:18:31.640 --> 00:18:34.519 but that's just how the law works, and that's okay. 283 00:18:34.599 --> 00:18:36.599 We need to work within the confines of the law, 284 00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:39.640 and that's fine. So we had estimated that it was 285 00:18:39.680 --> 00:18:43.599 going on for about five years, going back to about 286 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:46.720 twenty and eighteen twenty eighteen. 287 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:50.319 Now, was it only in this particular area, or did 288 00:18:50.359 --> 00:18:53.240 you get the idea that this might be going on 289 00:18:53.799 --> 00:18:56.400 in other areas as well? 290 00:18:56.759 --> 00:19:02.920 Other areas through evidence found under search warrants, through social 291 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:08.119 media accounts, through cell phone accounts, and then physical search warrants, 292 00:19:08.839 --> 00:19:10.960 we found evidence in other parts of New York State, 293 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:15.839 even as close to the confines of New York City. Yes, 294 00:19:15.880 --> 00:19:19.680 there's there in New York City, as well as other 295 00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:22.960 states along the Eastern Seaboard, and we did reach out 296 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:26.720 to those states for the evidence that we observed. They 297 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:31.279 did conduct and investigations but were unable to make a 298 00:19:31.319 --> 00:19:32.279 case off of those. 299 00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:35.920 So you have the individuals that were mentioned in the 300 00:19:35.960 --> 00:19:38.519 news release and the one that was posing as a 301 00:19:38.519 --> 00:19:42.480 female wildlife photographer. So is this something that looks like 302 00:19:42.519 --> 00:19:46.279 it had tentacles other places and maybe had been more elaborate. 303 00:19:46.599 --> 00:19:49.400 Yes, it was completely targeted. 304 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:52.599 And we come back on More out there was we 305 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:55.920 hear more about this incredible case, the great law enforcement 306 00:19:56.039 --> 00:19:59.200 work it took to solve it, and dig more into 307 00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:05.039 the poaching crime. This is across America. Welcome back to 308 00:20:05.079 --> 00:20:08.240 More Outdoors on News Talk five sixty klv I. This 309 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:12.119 is Chester Moore talking about poaching tonight and if you 310 00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:15.279 have any feedback on this or you have any stories 311 00:20:15.319 --> 00:20:17.400 you would like to share, email me at Chester at 312 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:21.559 Chestermore dot com, follow me at the Chestermore That is 313 00:20:21.640 --> 00:20:25.599 d Chester Moore, Instagram, Hire Calling dot net. My blog goes. 314 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:28.039 Subscribe to that blog. A lot of exclusive stuff there 315 00:20:28.079 --> 00:20:30.039 and of course catch me here every Friday sixty seven 316 00:20:30.039 --> 00:20:33.240 pm Central Standard Time on news Talk five sixty klv 317 00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:36.920 I with More Outdoors. Back to our conversation with the 318 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:38.079 game warden from New York. 319 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:44.720 It was completely targeted chim. They knew the deer they 320 00:20:44.759 --> 00:20:48.640 wanted and the group. In my nineteen years, this was 321 00:20:48.680 --> 00:20:55.000 the most sophisticated sophisticated organization of poaching. You know, I 322 00:20:55.160 --> 00:20:59.640 have seen groups of friends, family members get together and hey, 323 00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:02.279 let's go jacket deer, and they were for a night 324 00:21:02.440 --> 00:21:05.960 are season. What's interesting about this case is the use 325 00:21:05.960 --> 00:21:09.640 of social media, which we have seen before, but how 326 00:21:09.720 --> 00:21:13.000 the use of the wildlife photographers and the shed hunting 327 00:21:13.319 --> 00:21:19.519 groups to specifically target bucks, to use their accounts as 328 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:24.640 well as text messaging threads and specifically target a buck. Hey, 329 00:21:24.680 --> 00:21:28.119 this weekend, we're going to go shoot this and whatever 330 00:21:28.119 --> 00:21:29.680 the name of the deer was, this one hundred and 331 00:21:29.720 --> 00:21:32.279 sixty inch deer, this one hundred and eighty inch buck. 332 00:21:33.319 --> 00:21:35.119 I'm not going to settle for this one hundred and 333 00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:37.599 forty inch buck in the area. I want this one 334 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:44.720 the most efficient organized I should say for targeting specific deer. 335 00:21:44.759 --> 00:21:46.640 It's not just hey, we're going to go put some 336 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:49.559 meat in the freezer. This is we're going to go 337 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:52.559 shoot this monster buck on this day because we know 338 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:56.240 it's in this area, because of this wildlife photographer, because 339 00:21:56.240 --> 00:21:59.400 of this social media account puts it there two days ago, 340 00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:01.400 and so I know, even in the middle of the 341 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:03.799 rot this deer is relatively close here. We're going to 342 00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:04.880 find it, We're going to shoot it. 343 00:22:05.640 --> 00:22:09.119 Wow. Was there any evidence they used like geo tags 344 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:10.319 they could find in photos? 345 00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:16.000 No, we of course the technology allows different avenues to 346 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:20.279 detect that. I don't recall any avenues where they were 347 00:22:20.359 --> 00:22:25.200 utilizing it. They through their shed hunting, which is the 348 00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:29.039 off season. Through their shed hunting opportunities in the area, 349 00:22:29.160 --> 00:22:32.880 they generally knew the patches of woods that these deer 350 00:22:32.920 --> 00:22:33.160 were in. 351 00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:34.160 M H. 352 00:22:34.519 --> 00:22:39.680 So uh unforeseen on this case with that technology use. 353 00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:43.440 Now, in terms of this social media aspect of this, 354 00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:46.640 was this mainly being done through like Facebook groups where 355 00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:49.680 their Snapchat involved because I've heard of a poaching case 356 00:22:49.720 --> 00:22:51.880 and I believe it was Ohio that had some Snapchat 357 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:52.559 elements in it. 358 00:22:53.000 --> 00:22:59.960 Yes, yeah, yeah, uh. Both were being used, the regular 359 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:03.640 textmester s thread being used. And just to mention another 360 00:23:03.640 --> 00:23:06.119 part of the case which makes it interesting, this is 361 00:23:06.200 --> 00:23:10.400 plain day, plain middle of the day on a weekend, 362 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:15.799 playing clothes, maybe a little bit of camel. But their 363 00:23:15.960 --> 00:23:21.680 approach was to pose as hikers, wildlife photographers, normal people 364 00:23:21.799 --> 00:23:26.559 just out enjoying a nice fall afternoon. They're not dressed 365 00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:29.640 in full camo hiding in the bush and trying to 366 00:23:29.640 --> 00:23:33.880 get away. With it middle of the day and again 367 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:40.039 suburban setting, so using all avenues possible. We did see 368 00:23:40.519 --> 00:23:45.319 some potential for hiding smaller bows, compact bows. 369 00:23:45.720 --> 00:23:45.960 Yeah. 370 00:23:45.960 --> 00:23:48.519 That was my next question about getting archery equipment in there. 371 00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:51.599 Yeah, yeah, and that was something I've never seen before. 372 00:23:52.039 --> 00:23:57.319 As technology increases, you know, manufacturers are taking bows and 373 00:23:57.680 --> 00:24:01.519 hunting equipment to the next level because you know, certainly 374 00:24:01.559 --> 00:24:06.640 you want the most efficient, clean kill the animal. But 375 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:09.440 with that also comes some other complications. They were able 376 00:24:09.480 --> 00:24:12.880 to fit a bow into a backpack and if you 377 00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:15.839 were looking at them, you would never think that that 378 00:24:15.880 --> 00:24:19.839 person had a bow in their backpack. They also, which 379 00:24:19.880 --> 00:24:23.799 I've never seen before, I had walking sticks, and they 380 00:24:23.880 --> 00:24:28.119 would hide the arrows within the walking sticks, again to 381 00:24:28.200 --> 00:24:32.640 give home that additional level of just being out there 382 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:35.920 and enjoying it. So any individual and probably even law 383 00:24:35.960 --> 00:24:40.200 enforcement would not think that they were up to poaching activities. 384 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:43.079 Yeah, I didn't have the earmarks. And you know a 385 00:24:43.079 --> 00:24:44.599 lot of times you think of you know, some guy 386 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:46.519 poaching area like that, coming out at night with the 387 00:24:46.519 --> 00:24:48.960 twenty two magnum or something and you know, with a 388 00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:52.039 little headlight, yeah or whatever. And that's kind of in 389 00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:54.400 East Texas here what happens most of the time, or 390 00:24:54.920 --> 00:24:58.000 but these guys obviously had, you know, a game plan. 391 00:24:58.440 --> 00:25:01.599 And I'm a bow hunter myself, and when I first 392 00:25:01.640 --> 00:25:03.400 heard archery equipment involved, I thought it might have been 393 00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:07.640 somebody's really tiny crossbows. But when I noticed it mentioned 394 00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:11.440 compact bows, I went and checked out an archery shop. 395 00:25:11.480 --> 00:25:13.200 At the smallest bows they had, I'm like, you know, 396 00:25:13.240 --> 00:25:15.720 you could fit that in a backpack, you know. So 397 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:19.440 that was an interesting aspect of this. Now in terms 398 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:21.920 of the individuals and maybe some of the other things 399 00:25:21.960 --> 00:25:24.720 you looked at, did you get any sense that this 400 00:25:24.920 --> 00:25:27.440 might have been part of the reason they did it, 401 00:25:27.480 --> 00:25:30.200