Chief Joslin cites examples of a huge buck illegally killed near Terrace Hill, the governor's mansion, in Des Moines. Another was poached near the Des Moines airport. He suspects that similar poaching takes place in Davenport, Cedar Rapids, and other cities.

WHEN POACHERS ARE MOST ACTIVE
Years ago the classic poacher "shining" deer from a pickup truck was most active late at night during the cold months. That's changed, too. Poachers who kill deer to reduce crop, tree and garden damage are active year 'round, even in midsummer. Nonetheless, the majority of poachers are still after antlers.

In general, antler poachers are most active from early fall into late winter. Iowa bucks usually polish antlers in September, begin shedding in late December, with most bucks having dropped their antlers by late March, although a few may wear racks that don't drop until April.

"The main poaching season state-wide seems to be from September through December," Joslin noted, "and some poachers are especially active when officers are busy with another season opener, like the waterfowl season."

Officer Sloterdyk observes a spike in poaching just before the legal shotgun season. But Law Enforcement supervisor Mark Sedlmayr isn't sure that a prime season for poaching actually exists. "Deer seem to be shot from the minute they clean off their racks all the way into April," he said. "We had six deer poached in April 2005 in Ringgold and Clarke counties."

VIOLATIONS BY THE NUMBERS
The Iowa DNR doesn't break down fish and game violations by specific type, but the following chart gives some indication of wildlife law conviction trends:
Year	Hunting	Fishing	Trapping
1999	2,350	2,110	80
2000	2,321	2,445	75
2001	2,370	2,237	116
2002	2,417	2,347	287
2003	2,604	2,451	173
Data courtesy of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Although poaching can take place any hour of the day, Officer Jackson believes that most poaching occurs at dusk. "I think much of the poaching is taking place at dusk, and the shooter picks up the animal later, rather than using a spotlight," he said. "Poachers also may be starting to use night-vision equipment."

HOW HUNTERS CAN REDUCE POACHING
Poachers are thieves, and the IDNR needs the help of all citizens to apprehend them. IDNR executive enforcement officer Steve Dermand urges hunters to go out of their way to obey the law, to hunt ethically and to keep their eyes open for violators.

"We need the help of hunters to catch poachers," he said. "It's very helpful if hunters will program the Turn In Poachers hotline and (local) conservation officer's phone numbers into their cell phones. That way they can easily call if the spot illegal activity." The name of each Iowa county's conservation officer and his or her phone number, as well as the TIP hotline number -- again, 1-800-532-2020 -- will be found in every regulation booklet.

Dermand credits the TIP program for helping to reduce poaching in Iowa. "TIP is actually a private nonprofit organization," he explained. "It has its own board of directors that's made up of representatives of various conservation groups, like the Iowa Wildlife Federation. It's funded by contributions and memberships. Actually, anyone interested in learning more about wildlife law enforcement might want to join TIP and receive their newsletter." (Subscriptions for the TIP newsletter can be purchased for $20 from Jerry Dowell, TIP of Iowa Inc., PO Box 703, Pella, IA 50219. Contributions are tax deductible.)

TIP provides rewards to callers who report violations. "A typical reward will be in the $250 range for a deer conviction," Dermand said. "Some people are money-motivated, and the reward encourages them to call. However, many hunters simply want the poacher caught and refuse the reward."

Getting convicted of poaching a deer is expensive. A judge usually sets the exact fine. The basic fine is $150, and liquidated damage costs are frequently added to the fine. These costs range from $1,500 for a doe, to more than $5,000 for a large buck. In fact, liquidated damages can reach $20,000 for a record-book buck. Poachers are often caught with more than one deer, so fines can total thousands of dollars. The IDNR also sometimes confiscates the weapon and other hunting gear, which is usually used as evidence.

Iowa, arguably, is North America's center for hunting record-book whitetails -- and poachers are stealing those trophy bucks. IDNR law enforcement officers need the help of all hunters to apprehend them.