Oklahoma Game Wardens Working On Several Cases Of Poaching

Game Wardens in Muskogee County are asking people to speak up and report strange activity when they see it to catch poachers.

A cow elk found north of Little Green Leaf Lake in Braggs is one of a handful of open poaching cases Muskogee County Game Wardens said they are investigating right now. Branch said whoever shot and killed the cow elk could be facing thousands of dollars in fines, maybe even the loss of hunting rights.

"That day specifically that I got the call about the cow elk I received three other phone calls, all regarding poaching - pretty serious poaching incidents," said Branch.

Branch said there is evidence poachers leave behind that helps Game Wardens piece cases together.

"Most of the time a carcass is left, or maybe just a shell casing. A lot of times tire tracks,” said Branch.

Branch said a lot of poachers brag on Facebook.

One of the most valuable tools Branch said, when trying to crack these cases, is when people call the moment, they see something out of the ordinary, instead of waiting until it is too late. Branch said the tips add up, even if they are small, helping Game Wardens solve all kinds of cases.

"We might be all the way across the county. We might not be able to make it there for an hour, but we might be a mile away too to be able to stop it," said Branch.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conversation has an app where you can get a list of contact information for Game Wardens and get hunting and fishing tips and information.

You can find more information here.