A record number of Turn In Poachers (TIP) hotline calls referred to conservation officers (CO) with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) led to a significant increase in poaching arrests in 2012.
TIP calls referred to COs jumped 54 percent in 2012 to 2,051, compared with 1,328 in 2011. The previous record was 1,866 in 1981, when TIP was founded.
Last year’s calls led to 359 arrests, mostly related to deer, fish and waterfowl violations. The arrests represent a 29 percent increase over 2011. The record high is 428 arrests in 1991.
“Many good cases are the result of citizens calling the TIP hotline at 800-652-9093,” said Col. Jim Konrad, DNR Enforcement director.
Konrad said the record increase in TIP calls that were referred to COs and resulted in arrests indicates that more people are reporting illegal activities they see afield. He noted that eyewitness reports are strong tools in combating violations.
Last May, CO Eric Schettler of Fairmont received four TIP calls within 30 minutes about possible fish over-limits. The calls resulted in enforcement action against three poachers with 198 crappies more than the legal limit, three walleyes out of season and two nonresident anglers without licenses. Restitution and fines for the poachers were $1,550.
“If it wasn’t for TIP, these guys would have gotten away,” Schettler said.
A TIP call also led to three men catching and keeping a lot of fish from a Douglas County lake. The call contained important information: a description of the suspects, a license plate number of their vehicle and their location.
“A conservation officer has only one set of eyes and covers 650 square miles,” Konrad said. “If the public is concerned about natural resources, every person is another set of eyes that can help catch those violating the law.”
Since 1981 the TIP hotline has fielded thousands of reports of fish and wildlife violations, paying out nearly $358,000 in cash rewards that lead to arrests. Nearly half of informants turn the reward down.
Anyone witnessing a fish or wildlife violation is encouraged to contact the nearest conservation officer, law enforcement agency or the 24 hour toll-free TIP hotline at 800-652-9093. Cell phone users can dial #TIP.
Comments (26)
Add commentA record number of employees
A record number of DNR employees also escaped prosecution this year as their crimes were covered up by the leadership within the DNR. Tell us how many of them were prosecuted this year vs how many were ignored or covered up. If you prosecuted half of your own violators, we could save the state hudreds of thousands of dollars in pension money. Let's get started.
Go Get Em ! MN DNR COs
Game violators , lower than a snakes belly ... some are caught ,maybe more will think twice about their actions going forward.
Charlie M
Blah, blah, blah!!!!!!!!!
Well Charlie
When I was young my Grandpappy told me to never trust bear's, (tiger's/bad kitty's) or liberal's. I still stick by that to this day.
I bet that was Fox lake where that Fairmont CO caught'em.
Hey MN_Tiger
Tell us who your employer is. You don't need to say DNR. We already know that. Just say "State of Minnesota". We respect your honesty and dedication to your employer. LOL
charlie
are you related to that nutjob in Alabama?
Charlie M
Close Charlie, I work on a farm and raise three boys under 5 on my own. Looking forward to your response!
Charlie M
You really are the epitome of the type of person who has been brainwashed into believing the rhetoric that is destroying this country.
As my grandpappy used to say, "people like that wouldn't know a fallacy if it slapped them in the face like a wet cold 20lb salmon".
I'm praying for you Charlie.... ;)
just curious
What is destroying this country?
You don't have to be brainwashed to see what is going on around you. Having lived and traveled the world and the country gives one a pretty good clue.
I'm not speaking for Charlie but, I think you can take him off your prayer list.
Hard to say
If Charlie's shoulder chip is just so big he can't see what's in front of him, or if he really has some mental health issues. The pattern here has played out many times--A wild rant that comes out of nowhere followed by paranoid accusations against a total stranger that dares to disagree with him.
If you are saying prayer won't help Sadie, I agree....
Whoa!
"A record number of DNR employees also escaped prosecution this year as their crimes were covered up by the leadership within the DNR. Tell us how many of them were prosecuted this year vs how many were ignored or covered up."
I had no idea this was happening. Can you cite where you found this? I hadn't heard this.
Is that all?
"The calls resulted in enforcement action against three poachers with 198 crappies more than the legal limit, three walleyes out of season and two nonresident anglers without licenses. Restitution and fines for the poachers were $1,550."
They should have been fined more than that. There were three poachers, that is about $500 per person. Unless the story meant $1,550/person but that isn't how I understood it.
If sportsmen can't be respectful of our area, they don't deserve to be here and they certainly aren't "sportsmen."
Hey Proud Rino, MN_Tiger and any other DNR defenders.
Maybe if you lived on a lake and you caught (face-to-face) two clowns (DNR employees) tearing out a dam that holds the water in that lake, maybe you would be upset also. Especially when you woke up the next morning and your pontoon was sitting on high ground next to your dock. When questioned, they said they worked for DNR waters. Come to find out, they worked in wildlife and waters knew nothing about it. Their boss, DNR wildlife supervisor, Brainerd, told them to tear out the dam and authorized the use of state trucks, equipment etc. Why did this wildlife supervisor want the lake level lowered? Guess what, he and his partner from Ducks Unlimited, own a wild rice business in the Brainerd area. They hold one of a few licenses in Minnesota(check it out on line) to buy, sell, harvest and process wild rice. It seems that certain times of the year, low water is needed to grow the wild rice and certain times it is better if the water is high. Later in the year, while this wildlife manager was flying around checking the deer herd (wildlife, not waters) and making his surveys, he took a few detours with the state airplane to check on his wild rice lakes. (Source of info not revealed, to protect the innocent in the DNR) Gotta have a good crop for the fall harvest you know. Better for the private business. He had this done by his employees on several lakes in the area. While lowering the water in the lake that I am on, he brought the water level so low that the fire department dry hydrant was unable to provide water for fighting fires in northwestern Crow Wing/southern Cass counties, thereby putting hundreds/thousands of homeowners lifes in danger, among other things (Resorts etc). This activity was turned into DNR Hdqtrs in St Paul. A public meeting was to be held on the issue, in Brainerd. A DNR insider told my neighbor and myself that if we showed up for the meeting, the plan was to throw us out. No one showed up except some from St Paul. When questioned, face to face, about this issue, the commissioner at that time stated "there is such a close knit group of employees in the DNR involved with issues like this that stick up for each other statewide, that he wouldn't dare touch the issue." Guess what, DNR supervisory employees from Bemidji and Grand Rapids all came forward in defense of this supervisor from Brainerd, and they didn't even know the circumstances. This DNR wildlife manager in the Brainerd area also applied for and received a Lessard/Sams grant for a project however when applying for the grant, he wrongfully told the Lessard/Sams committee the main purpose of this grant. This money was directly used to benefit his wild rice business. Possibly the reason for the ethics investigation currently being conducted in the Brainerd DNR office. And this DNR supervisor is suppose to retire this spring. It must be nice to be able to retire into your own private business that the taxpayers paid for. If that's not enough info for you then put your head between your legs and kiss it goodbye. This is factual information, not heresay or rumors. Don't ask any more questions about it as I will not answer them. This is not the only issue in the Brainerd DNR office. You can put all the spin you want on it. Facts are facts. PS: This type of stuff is happening all over in the Minnesota DNR. Maybe the taxpayers should set up a private business for Rino also. We could call it "The Big Mouth Spin Doctor Shop" "You say it, we'll spin it". PSS: The current DNR Commissioner refuses to listen to or do anything about it.
charlie
I think I was right that MN Tiger could take you off her prayer list. You are doing fine. She was just being sarcastic anyway.
Good post and I know you have shared this information before, but some people are new and some don't want to know.
Cozy Relationship-BDD&DNR
Better read this article fast. The BDD has had a cozy relationship in the past with the DNR and as soon as the truth comes out about the DNR, these articles have a history of fast-tracking it to the archives.
Thanks SML
I can always use prayers, regardless of the reason. Prayers are kind of like love, you can always use it. It's just that prayers are needed more and mean more. If I had to choose between them, I would go with prayers.
Sadmarylady
Why did you assume I was a female? Can men not raise kids? Tut tut...
Cozy relationship-BDD/DNR
That didn't take long. I no more than got my article posted and the cyber monkey moved the whole article into a hidden land. How many pounds of cleaned fresh walleye does the cyber monkey get for "taking care of the DNR".
sorry charlie, no tuna for
sorry charlie, no tuna for you.
Charlie
I'm not sure if I understand correctly what you're saying, but I accessed this article with no problems. Accessed it from the main BDD website page.
It was the 4th link down under the most commented category.
Only thing I can think of maybe the spot you were accessing the story was replaced with a newer one, but maybe I'm wrong.
But don't worry, your DNR post is still very accessible. I'll read where I left off when I get some time after work.
Charlie, visit this link:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/wildlife/shallowlakes/wildrice.html
They aren't hiding from what you're alleging.
"Funds from the sale of wild rice licenses supports DNR management of wild rice: managing water levels on wild rice lakes, improving or maintaining outlets, and assessing habitat. Tribal management of historically important wild rice lakes has become more significant in recent years and has included both stand restoration and annual water level management. In 2001 and 2002, a cooperative project between the DNR and Ducks Unlimited focused on intensive water level management on a number of important wild rice lakes."
That is a quote from that link, and the DNR explains everything very nicely.
"A record number of DNR employees also escaped prosecution this year as their crimes were covered up by the leadership within the DNR"
This is a quote from Charlie... what crimes?
DNR
You may not agree with every tactic the DNR uses to manage the wildlife in the state of Minnesota but that doesn't mean the DNR is breaking the law.
You should do a little research on it before you start throwing around pretty serious accusations.
Natorade
I can't reply to your comment. Every time I start to comment, the BDD cyber monkey cancels my reply and erases it as I write. Sorry.
Hitler has come back
Sounds like the same story when Hitler had children turning their own parents in for what ever. I would do it myself in certain situations and other situations I would not. If the crime were for a set of horns and waste the meat then of course. If the crime was to feed a family then no. In both situations, I would not take money, just never been a prostitute. Sounds like many are.