The use of poison to kill wildlife is another form of poaching.
If you’ve seen this sign, you may have some questions. ODFW and OSP deployed these to alert citizens of safety concerns on public land involving poisoned wildlife.
Oregonians value clean water and wildlife habitat. Recent poisoning incidents in Oregon have grave impacts on many species not just the ones being targeted by poachers. When someone tries to kill a wolf with poison, for example, they also harm scavengers such as eagles that naturally feed on carcasses. Poisons spread across species and landscapes. Some poisons break down slowly so they can stay dangerous on the land and in the water for long periods of time.
Poison on a carcass, or left out to kill wildlife, can attract domestic animals as well. Imagine if you were hiking in the back country, and your dog came across a bait trap or a poisoned carcass. What a terrible way to lose a member of your family.
What can you do to help protect public lands and wildlife?
Learn safety tips before heading into the forest:
- Keep your dog on a leash and under control. Don’t let them eat anything they find in the forest. Learn how to induce vomiting in your dog before venturing out, and if you suspect that your pet may have been poisoned, visit a veterinarian immediately.
- Watch for dead scavenging birds or mammals in the same area. Illegal poisonings have killed jays, magpies, ravens, bald and golden eagles, skunks, wolves, mountain lions.
- Know what a poisoned carcass looks like. This may be tricky to spot but watch for substances on the carcass that seem unnatural (powders or strange colors).
- Be on the lookout for suspicious poisoned bait. An unnatural item in the woods such as a meat ball or piece of steak could be an indicator that someone is trying to poison wildlife in the area.
- Learn about the TIP line and what information OSP needs to make an arrest. Don’t approach anyone that you suspect of poaching. Get some details such as license plates, description of vehicle and persons, date, and time of the incident.
Remember to contact Oregon State Police by calling *OSP (*677) if you have information related to any poaching situation.
Contact ODFW (503-947-6027) if you want to learn more about how to help state and federal agencies combat poisoning and poaching.
Together we can help protect our public lands and wildlife.
Learn about additional ways to combat poaching here.