From the AZG&FD:

Multi-agency sting nabs bear poachers, uncovers alleged killing of stray horses

PINETOP, Ariz. – An extensive multi-agency undercover operation led by Arizona Game and Fish Department law enforcement officers has resulted in 16 suspects being charged with more than 60 wildlife violations and one suspect facing six felony charges involving killing of stray horses on U.S. Forest Service lands near Show Low.

Game and Fish Department officers expended more than 2,000 hours in the operation, ultimately charging multiple suspects with the unlawful take of nine bears, two elk, four mule deer and one Coues white-tailed deer. To date, 11 individuals have been convicted of 18 offenses. Most of the wildlife violations are classified as Class 2 misdemeanors, each punishable by up to four months in jail and a $750 fine, if convicted.

Eleven of these suspects now also face potential hunting, fishing and trapping license revocation and/or civil assessments by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. Civil assessments reimburse the state of Arizona for the loss of wildlife resources. The minimum assessment value set by statute is $1,500 for each bear or deer and $2,500 for each elk.

During fall 2006, covert officers from the Game and Fish Department’s Special Operations Unit partnered with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent in an undercover project named Operation Bear Bones to target illegal bear hunting activities in the White Mountains. As the number of suspects and scope of illegal activities grew, department officers enlisted the assistance of additional agencies having appropriate jurisdiction and expertise, including the Arizona Department of Agriculture, USDA Forest Service, and Wildlife and Recreation Division of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

During the course of the investigations, Game and Fish Department officers also identified one of the suspects as allegedly being involved in the unlawful killing of livestock (six horses).

“Stray horses located in southern Navajo County on lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service most likely originated from the adjacent Fort Apache Indian Reservation during the Rodeo-Chediski Fire of 2002,†says Zeke Austin, special investigator for the Arizona Department of Agriculture. “When the boundary fence burned during the fire, horses had unrestricted access to Forest Service lands. Unlawful killing of livestock in Arizona is a serious crime, whether ownership is known or unknown, punishable as a Class 5 felony.â€

Jim Hinkle, law enforcement program manager in the Game and Fish Pinetop office, says, “The motivation for shooting the horses appears to be to use them as bait sites to attract and illegally kill bears. Several of the bears unlawfully taken were pursued off of horse carcasses.â€

Hinkle commends the investigators and officers involved with Operation Bear Bones. “They worked long hours gathering, organizing and examining huge amounts of evidence, conducted extensive interviews and worked in close coordination with other agencies and prosecutors to ensure that these violators of Arizona’s wildlife resources were brought to justice,†he says. “The results of this project speak for themselves and demonstrate the value of covert operations and agency cooperation in apprehending game thieves.â€