TURN-IN-A-POACHER PROGRAM PROVIDES NEARLY $3,000 IN REWARDS
 COLUMBUS, OH - Twenty-one Ohioans recently received a total of $2,835 in rewards for reporting wildlife violations to the Turn-In-a-Poacher (TIP) Hotline of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. As a result of these calls, 33 people were convicted of poaching wildlife and fined a total of $12,748 by Ohio courts.
The TIP program allows Ohioans to call a toll-free number from anywhere in the state to report wildlife violations. Calls can be placed anonymously at 1-800-POACHER (800-762-2437).
The National Wild Turkey Federation, which lends financial support to the TIP Program, also awarded $320 to three tipsters for information that led to the conviction of three turkey poachers.
Begun in 1982, the TIP program is a private, non-profit corporation administered through the Division of Wildlife. Program volunteers, representing the state’s five wildlife districts, meet on a regular basis to review tips received and determine award amounts. Since the TIP program began, more than $125,000 has been awarded to 900 callers who provided vital information about state wildlife violations. Those calls helped lead to the arrest and conviction of 1,572 poachers, who paid a total of $533,139 in fines.
Records show that the average TIP call results in the conviction of two wildlife violators. The average TIP payment award is $139 and the average fine for those convicted of poaching is $339. For each dollar paid in rewards, $5.92 has been returned to the division for wildlife management and enforcement.
Ohio’s Turn-In-a-Poacher program continues to help curtail wildlife violations across the state. Citizens can help, not only by providing tips, but by making a donation to the reward fund as well. Anyone interested in making a donation, should make a contribution to TIP Headquarters, ODNR Division of Wildlife, 2045 Morse Rd., Columbus, OH 43229-6693.
|