The New Mexico Department of Wildlife (NMDOW) reports that a state conservation officer conducting routine hunter checks during elk season received multiple anonymous tips that would ultimately lead to a major poaching investigation. Operation Game Thief, a program to report poachers, had received multiple anonymous reports of two headless bull elk left to waste.
One of the tips came from someone who was observing two bull elk through his spotting scope when he saw two people shoot the bulls. The tipster reported that he noticed they had taken photos, a detail that played a key role later in the investigation. The following day, while using his spotting scope in the same area, the same individual observed two headless elk carcasses, with all edible portions still intact.
New Mexico conservation officers hiked to the crime scene in the Jemez Mountains, where they found the two described headless elk carcasses. Conservation officers undergo extensive training and have access to a wide range of specialized tools and forensic techniques specifically designed to solve wildlife crimes, notes NMDOW. DNA samples and other key evidence were collected from the scene. In addition to the observations, a witness provided screenshots from social media showing the suspected poacher posing with the bull elk.
In the course of their investigation, New Mexico conservation officers discovered one of the bull elk heads listed for sale. Officers bought it from the poacher, leading to the poacher’s arrest for the unlawful sale of wildlife. With a search warrant, additional evidence was obtained for the case. Forensic analysis of the DNA evidence from the elk heads matched the two headless carcasses. The photo posted on social media was then matched with the landscape of the crime scene where the bulls were killed. Due to the evidence, the poacher confessed to unlawfully killing and wasting two bull elk while holding a license for just one.
This case was made possible by witnesses and individuals who understand that poaching is wrong, hurts all of us and damages conservation efforts. Every state has a poaching tip hotline or webpage, such as New Mexico’s Operation Game Thief. If you see a violation or suspicious activity in the field, report it.