Poaching on Decline After Record Year

[Newview01]

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/poaching-on-decline-after-record-high-year

[last minute]

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[husky7mm]

My guess is this is because there are way less transient workers this year and its short lived. Some of those here for a good time, not a long time don't give two chits about the rules. I was told far too many stories about friends of friends or someone's coworkers that poached something. Good riddance, albeit for just a few years.

[amosfella]

I'd say it's too early to be celebrating. One is an accident, two is a coincidence, and three is a pattern or intent...

[ak77]

My knowledge of fine nuances of English language may be limited because I'm an immigrant, but my understanding is to say "something is on decline" means there is a trend showing decline over several samples (years in this case). Just saying "we got fewer of those this year" doesn't makes it a trend.

[Joe Black]

Obviously did not include those poachers who left their trailers in one spot for more than 14 days. Those guys make me want to vomit.

[Pioneer2]

Rustling with the economy what it is.................Harold

[JimPS]

My guess is this is because there are way less transient workers this year and its short lived. Some of those here for a good time, not a long time don't give two chits about the rules. I was told far too many stories about friends of friends or someone's coworkers that poached something. Good riddance, albeit for just a few years.

Some of the trash has been kicked to the curb - but - there's a lot more that belongs in the gutter.

[catnthehat]

My guess is this is because there are way less transient workers this year and its short lived. Some of those here for a good time, not a long time don't give two chits about the rules. I was told far too many stories about friends of friends or someone's coworkers that poached something. Good riddance, albeit for just a few years.

I know of a lot " real Albertans" that think nothing of poaching as well, blaming poaching on one demographic is not correct .
However as was stated, only time will tell if this poaching decline is a coincidence or a trend
Cat

[fordtruckin]

I know of a lot " real Albertans" that think nothing of poaching as well, blaming poaching on one demographic is not correct .
However as was stated, only time will tell if this poaching decline is a coincidence or a trend
Cat

Well put cat! It's always easier to look in someone else's back yard then looking in your own first. For the most part I believe poaching is a crime of opportunity and despairity, although there are the diehards who have no conscious or ethics's.

[Coulee]

I know of a lot " real Albertans" that think nothing of poaching as well, blaming poaching on one demographic is not correct .
However as was stated, only time will tell if this poaching decline is a coincidence or a trend
Cat

The crime rate involving, "Crimes of opportunity" are always higher where there is a transient population. Next years poaching stats, especially in the Edmonton-Peace River-Fort Mac triangle, will be even lower next year. As will drug arrests, DUI, B&E etc... Its not profiling, its fact. Crime statistics kept over many decades bear that out every time.

[catnthehat]

The crime rate involving, "Crimes of opportunity" are always higher where there is a transient population. Next years poaching stats, especially in the Edmonton-Peace River-Fort Mac triangle, will be even lower next year. As will drug arrests, DUI, B&E etc... Its not profiling, its fact. Crime statistics kept over many decades bear that out every time.

The poaching incidents I am speaking of and many of the incidents that have been brought to light on here are not involving transients
That is also a fact
Cat

[58thecat]

A lot of people left, some good and some bad.
People leave then the rate of incidents etc go down.
Ones left care for the most part.

[Dean2]

You will often see a drop in various crime rates that are simply caused by lower levels of enforcement. Can result from less focus on those crimes, less cops/wardens, or changes to how incidents are recorded. As others have said you have to REALLY understand all the ins ans outs and you need to see the trend maintained for a few years before you can truly judge.

The City of New York decreased their violent crime rate by 60% about 20 years ago by just changing what they classed as violent crime. A crime that didn't result in bodily injury was no longer a violent crime no matter whether it was still a felony or not. Example theft at gun point - pre change violent crime, post change not violent crime if the victim didn't get sent to hospital.

Figures don't lie but Liars figure.

[husky7mm]

I know of a lot " real Albertans" that think nothing of poaching as well, blaming poaching on one demographic is not correct .
However as was stated, only time will tell if this poaching decline is a coincidence or a trend
Cat

I totally hear you, its normal to some people here too, shameful.

I will say though I don't believe it to be a coincidence at all, the hotels were empty, some camps were closed, there are/ was lots of rental houses that used to have 5 -6 guys in them, even more if they cross shift..... some oil fields have had zero activity for almost two years, you could drive the whole day and see no one. There is a heck of a lot less people in the bush in some areas. I am not a real Albertan myself, so this is not bias.

[walking buffalo]

You will often see a drop in various crime rates that are simply caused by lower levels of enforcement. Can result from less focus on those crimes, less cops/wardens, or changes to how incidents are recorded. As others have said you have to REALLY understand all the ins ans outs and you need to see the trend maintained for a few years before you can truly judge.

The City of New York decreased their violent crime rate by 60% about 20 years ago by just changing what they classed as violent crime. A crime that didn't result in bodily injury was no longer a violent crime no matter whether it was still a felony or not. Example theft at gun point - pre change violent crime, post change not violent crime if the victim didn't get sent to hospital.

Figures don't lie but Liars figure.


Absolutely!

I don't accept the claim of an actual reduction in wildlife infractions.

The same thing happened last decade. Enforcement and prosecution plummeted and so did the charges.

http://www.aupe.org/news/illegal-hunting-prosecutions-plummet-while-poaching-tips-soar-aupe-president-warns/
EDMONTON – With hunting season now under way, hunters and others concerned about conservation will be disturbed to learn that while tips about poaching in Alberta’s wildlands have more than doubled since 2007-2008, prosecutions have fallen by 80 per cent.
“Alberta appears to be slowly abandoning wildlife protection through gradual underfunding and staff cuts in its fish and wildlife protection programs,” charged Alberta Union of Provincial Employees’ President Guy Smith.

“We have essentially thrown the doors of Alberta wide open to poachers, who can now hunt illegally with impunity in this province,” said Smith.

“The Alberta government needs to take immediate measures to hire new fish and wildlife officers and fund their operations so that they can properly investigate poaching reports, work overtime and travel if necessary, and prosecute the offenders that they catch,” Smith said.

Budget cuts, restrictions on travel and overtime, departmental restructuring, paperwork, management by other departments and population growth have all impacted the ability of members of AUPE’s Local 005, which represents direct government employees who work in natural resources and conservation services, to do their jobs, Smith said.

Figures compiled by the Alberta Conservation Association show that the government’s Report a Poacher Program received 3,624 tips in 2007-2008, resulting in 1,242 charges being laid. Those statistics were in line with tips and prosecutions in previous years.

From 2008-2009, by comparison, while the number of tips had increased more than 50 per cent, the number of prosecutions had fallen to 235.

In 2009-2010, there were 7,509 tips resulting only in 241 charges.

“This isn’t happening because there are fewer poachers,” said Smith. “It’s happening because the province isn’t funding an important conservation program and allowing our members to do their jobs.”

Smith noted that Alberta’s neighbour to the south, the State of Montana, has a population of 975,000 and covers 381,000 square kilometers compared to Alberta’s 3.7 million people and 662,000 square kilometers. But Montana’s state government employs 110 fish and wildlife officers compared to 137 for all of Alberta.

“This is only one example of the effects of under funding essential public services in Alberta,” Smith concluded.

[Grizzly Adams]

If winter keeps up this way, poaching won't be our biggest concern. :D

Grizz

[elkdump]

The BC Govt found that by reducing CO's numbers and illuminating overtime ,

They ( the Govt) could "REDUCE" poaching and wildlife offences,,,

Nobody get caught ? Then NOBODY is poaching ? easy fix ,,,,

lmao :thinking-006:

[hehalta]

Let me see... that makes it one years in row. Might just have been fewer got caught.

[elkdump]

Let me see... that makes it one years in row. Might just have been fewer got caught.

Maybe the year before, the dumb ones/Alberta's stupidest poachers all got caught,
So the following year , the ones with 2 brain cells , outsmarted the CO's :sHa_sarcasticlol: