The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is using its team of conservation officer pilots to identify shiners and other lawbreakers.
 
“We fly at an altitude that allows us to get a good look at the landscape without being easily detected,” said Lt. Thomas Buker, a DNR conservation officer pilot since 2004. “You’d be surprised at how easy it is to spot an offender from the air.”
 
Shining is the use of an artificial light at night to temporarily immobilize wildlife. In Minnesota, it is illegal to use flashlights, spotlights, headlights or other artificial lights to locate wild animals from two hours after sunset until sunrise, year around. A person possessing a firearm, bow or other implement that could be used to take wild animals is prohibited from shining at any time. While certain exceptions apply for raccoon hunters and trappers, the laws are in place to protect and minimize disturbances to wildlife, discourage poaching and protect personal property.
 
Each year poachers illegally kill hundreds of deer across the state, often by shining at night.
 
The poachers “freeze” the deer in the bright light and shoot them. These lawbreakers can be difficult to catch, since they typically operate on lightly traveled rural roads and in remote areas.
 
“During night flights, we can see things that would never be visible from the ground,” Buker said.
 
Using GPS and night vision, DNR pilots provide concise information to conservation officers in trucks. The team works in tandem to pinpoint offenders. “During the course of a few hours, we can effectively observe several hundred square miles,” Buker said.
 
Penalties for poaching and shining can include fines of several thousand dollars, loss of vehicles, and/or equipment involved in the crime and the loss of hunting privileges.


Deer poachers take note: That buck in the crosshairs may not be a deer at all, but a decoy used by conservation officers with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to catch people illegally taking deer.
 
“It’s the firearm deer season and some hunters don’t want to return home empty handed,” said Col. Jim Konrad, DNR Enforcement Division director. “Although the vast majority of hunters abide by the rules, there are some who resort to poaching to fill their tag.”
 
With only 140 field conservation officers across the state, help from law-abiding outdoorsmen and women, as well as the general public, is welcomed.
 
“If people see suspicious activity, such as a vehicle driving slowly at night shining a spotlight into a forest or field, they should contact a conservation officer or other law enforcement officer with as much detail as possible,” Konrad said.
 
He suggested noting the time the incident occurred, characteristics about the people involved, the type of vehicle used, the license plate number, and direction they were heading.
 
Quick notification is also critical.
 
“People should contact us as soon as possible,” Konrad said. “The longer someone waits to report the activity, the less chance we have of stopping it. Almost everyone has cell phones, so we hope they put them to good use.”
 
The Turn In Poachers (TIP) program offers rewards to citizens who report poachers or other resources violations. People can report a violation by calling 800-652-9093, or #TIP on most cell phones.
 
“The public – hunters and nonhunters – must get involved,” Konrad said. “We all have a vested interest in the wildlife in this state. If we are going to protect wildlife, we must depend on the public to help us to do that.”