Perspective: Bill aims make poaching a riskier crime

The calf was only a few weeks old. They knew he was dead before they found him.

He was born in July of last year, part of Missouri’s protected Peck Ranch elk herd. He didn’t have a name, just a number: Elk calf 1829. The calf was fitted with a radio collar to allow the conservation department’s elk research team to monitor him. They didn’t get to track the calf very long.

After only a few weeks, the calf’s radio collar sent a signal. Elk calf 1829 was dead. The team found him in a ditch, shot in the head. His meat had been stripped. There were still white spots on his back.

Native to Missouri, elk were hunted to extinction in this state more than 100 years ago. In 2011, a herd of elk was reintroduced to the southeast part of our state from a wild herd in Kentucky. The herd is growing, and the hope is to maintain the elk both as a tourism attraction and eventually as a game animal. It’s estimated the herd may be large enough to sustain a very limited hunt as early as next year. Gerald Smith, the Ozarks Regional Supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation, is optimistic.

“The population is starting to thrive,” he told me, “and we’re looking forward to it expanding. The animals are a great attraction for the area, even though it’s pretty remote.”

The team responsible for the elk take poaching deaths hard.

“We react and respond quickly in these cases,” Gerald said. “The department puts a lot of effort into these investigations. We’ve added patrols to the area, but we rely on the public to help us find poachers.”

Unfortunately, calf 1829 wasn’t the only poaching casualty the herd has suffered. In 2015, someone shot and killed a bull elk in the same area. This elk wasn’t shot for the meat. Whoever killed him used a chainsaw to cut off his antlers.

Just last month, two more elk from the herd were shot, but not for their meat or even their antlers this time. Apparently, they were killed just for the joy of killing.

“Poaching is always stealing, but these last two are puzzling. It seems like it was done almost out of spite,” Gerald told me.

Part of the problem is the remoteness of the elk’s range area, but a bigger issue is the fine for poaching. The crime carries a potential fine of up to $2,000, but many poaching tickets result in fines of less than $200. By comparison, the cost of a nonresident, any-deer permit is $225.

You can see the problem. The cost of poaching an animal can actually be less than the cost of taking one legally. Unscrupulous individuals are willing to simply take their chances.

“Because of their uniqueness, many of our native species can get exploited for money,” Gerald said.

To give poachers something to think about the next time they consider stealing from our state, I have filed Senate Bill 356. The bill stacks an additional restitution payment on top of the criminal fine for poaching turkey, paddlefish, white tailed deer, black bear and elk. The restitution will make poaching a much riskier activity, and the money will help fund our public schools.

I’m a hunter and outdoorsman, and there’s a right way to do things. Honest sportsmen buy permits, and that money helps maintain game animals and facilities for everyone to enjoy. Like Gerald said, poaching is always stealing and at its worst it is the blatant waste of these animals’ lives. We’re here to be good stewards of our natural resources, and Senate Bill 356 is intended to help do just that.

It is a pleasure to serve the people of the 6th district, and please feel free to contact my office at (573) 751-2076. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Bernskoetter.

State Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City, represents the 6th District, and shares his perspective on statehouse issues twice a month.