An Ohio Department of Natural Resources officer was shot while investigating a poaching complaint in Martinsville, Ohio, on Sunday.
Authorities said Kevin Behr was shot around 4 p.m. Sunday and transported to a local hospital. He’s currently listed in stable condition.
He was with a group of officers investigating the complaint. No other officers were injured on the scene.
Officers arrested three men in connection with the incident, but none have been charged.
Poaching Is A Serious Problem In The United States
Many outdoors enthusiasts go about their hunting and fishing exploits in peace. They understand the rules of the road when it comes to catching their prey.
Some people, though, take it to the extreme and poach animals freely…at the moment.
Federal game wardens have to deal with poachers all the time. In fact, the horns of ram sheep can reportedly sell for $20,000 on the black market. The American black bear gets poached for its hide, paws, gallbladder, and bile. Meanwhile, the gallbladder and bile are used in Eastern medicine for heart and kidney diseases.
Undercover operations have found dried bear gallbladders going for $30,000 on the black market.
Cow Moose and Calf Killed In Idaho In Poaching Incident
Back in October, a week after a series of moose-poaching incidents in Southwest Idaho, officers of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game have discovered two more illegally killed moose.
In an IDFG news release, officials reported that conservation officers received information on Oct. 18 about the illegally killed animals. The animals were located by officials around three miles west of Banks, ID, which is about an hour north of Boise.
During the officers’ investigation, they also found the body of a bull moose calf in the vicinity. Officials believe both of the animals died sometime between Oct. 14 and Oct. 18.
States Start Cracking Down More On Poaching
As one can tell, there’s a lot of money to be made off of poaching. The tide, though, might be changing.
A number of states have been signing legislation to put poachers on notice.
In New Mexico, Gov. Susanna Martinez signed legislation in 2017 that makes wasting game a felony. It carries a prison sentence of up to 18 months and a fine of $5,000 with the charge. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish officials investigate trophy poachers who will take the horns off of animals and leave the rest of the carcass alone.
Elk poaching is a serious problem in Nevada. In April 2017, a man paid $20,000 for poaching an elk in southeastern Nevada. He also had to serve five years of probation for his offense.
H/T: WZAZ , GameWarden.org
