2009 was an extremely successful year for the Operation Game Thief (OGT) program. A total of 354 poaching complaints were reported via the 800 line and the website, representing a 173% increase (354 calls vs. 130 calls) over calls received during 2008! This is an astonishing number! Of these 354 calls, 26 resulted in an apprehension, and out of these 26 calls, a total of 59 arrests or summonses were made by Maine game wardens for violations of Maine fish and wildlife laws.

There were several significant illegal fishing cases reported to OGT, among them were four major over-the-limit cases and illegal sale of brook trout in Dover-Foxcroft (see Case Files page of website for the story). Also, there were over 30 cases that involved the illegal taking of deer. Among those were 10 cases of illegally hunting/possessing of anterless deer, night hunting, exceeding the bag limit of deer and hunting deer on a game preserve. In one case in Aroostook County, three individuals were apprehended for killing anterless deer without permits and these poachers were also in possession of Schedule z drugs. It makes one wonder what goes through poachers' heads. Maine turkeys were not immune to the poacher as Maine game wardens apprehended poachers with illegally possessing, killing and transporting turkeys in violation of Maine fish and wildlife laws. The illegal killing of a moose in closed season was also reported through Operation Game Thief.. Game wardens also found one poacher, a felon, who was in possession of a firearm.

Many OGT complaints are filed as Future Information for wardens and there are still cases that are under investigation by Maine game wardens, with two cases waiting for lab tests to be completed. A very few calls were unfounded.

Please read the Case Files page for more details of great cases made by game wardens solely because someone made the effort to report the violation. As cases are settled in court, you will see more "fresh" Case Files on the website.

Maine wardens need your help in reporting violations of fish and wildlife law, for without your information, wardens' jobs are made much more difficult. For those concerned citizens who reported violations through Operation Game Thief, your efforts are applauded and appreciated by everyone.

Thank you!

Board of Directors, Operation Game Thief

As you all know, Operation Game Thief (OGT), is a private, non-profit organization,  supported solely through the generous donations of concerned sportsmen and women as well as anyone who values Maine's fish and wildlife resources. A major function of the Board of Directors is raising funds to support OGT. These dollars go to paying rewards for information leading to the apprehension of poachers as well as education efforts.

The three fundraisers for 2009 and results are as follows:

The 2nd Annual Harvest Fun Shoot at the Hermon Skeet Club was fun and a success. A total of 39 shooters shot the sporting clays course while 19 pairs of shooters shot the Flurry. Henry Trial was the overall winner of the sporting clays course with a score of 48 followed by the runner-up, Cliff O'Donnell with a score of 47. Joan Trial was the overall female champ with a score of 41 followed by the runner up, Amy Carroll with a score of 37. For the Flurry, the team of Thomas Young and Carl Stecher were the champs with score of 20 and two teams tied for the runner-up score of 17: Louie Hall/Ed Carroll and Nelson Towns and Jack Frost. Game wardens were present with the Wall of Shame Trailer while Unity College students, assisted by game wardens, helped to cook lunch. Thank you to all participants, station sponsors and donors of prizes. The proceeds of this event go to paying rewards leading to the apprehension of poachers. We are looking forward to the 3rd Annual Harvest Shoot in 2010!

The 2009 Conifer-OGT Golf Tournament was held at the Fairlawn Golf Club in Poland, ME. An 18 hole scramble and beautiful weather created a wonderful day for the 18 teams of 70 players. In 1st place with a Low Gross score of  (-13) were Brent Basso, Dan Winship, Bobby Ager and Kristine Paolino. In 2nd place with a Low Gross score of  (-12) were Scott Kent, Mike Labonte, Mark Irving and Andy Labonte. In 3rd place with a Low Gross score of (-10) were Tim Hasset. Bob Corey, Brian Wood and Jim Hall. There were three Net Winners: In 1st Place Net with a score of Even, were Chris Kyle, Kevin Curty, Gordan Barnes and Bob Daley. Followed by Bill Blake, Deanie Blake, Mike Hanson and Daryl Hubbard in 2nd Place Net with a score of Even. In 3rd Place Net with a score of Even were Jim Hutchinson, Aaron Hodgson, Ron Meadow and Fred Meadow. The three Net winners shot even par, but won "low net with a 50% team handicap adjustment". There were 18 hole sponsors who donated $500 to sponsor a hole which included 4 players and two golf carts. Heavy hor d'oeuvres were served and an auction of outstanding donations was held. A new addition to this year's tournament was a "friendly competition" between the Maine State Police, Maine Warden Service and Forest Rangers from the Maine Forest Service. Because of generous hole sponsorships, troopers, wardens and forest rangers were able to play. This year's trophy went home with the State Police. We'll see what happens next year! Thank you to all participants, hole sponsors and donors. Because of your efforts, this fundraiser was a successful event, raising over $8,000 and will go a long way toward paying rewards in the upcoming hunting season. Our heartfelt thanks go to all supporters of Operation Game Thief.

The 2009 OGT Pheasant Shoot was held in New Gloucester, ME at 9:00AM at Fred Thurston's farm. After a contintental breakfast, seventeen shooters participated in a controlled hunt while volunteers released birds with OGT board members in attendance. Each of these shooters paid (donated) $350 to shoot. Shooters scored 10 points for killing the bird with the first shot, 5 points if it took two shots and 0 points if they missed. Various "fun" penalties were assessed that required the shooters to pay "fines" but really they were donations to OGT. A lunch of fried chicken was followed later in the afternoon, after the shoot concluded, by cocktails and a card raffle for a 9mm Beretta handgun which netted OGT $1,000. During a verbal auction we did a knife raffle which netted $1,500. Thanks to the generosity of several Maine businesses and individuals, we finished the afternoon with an auction of these items. At the end of the day, the pheasant shoot netted over $12,000 for Operation Game Thief. These funds will help pay rewards for information leading to the apprehension of poachers as well as our education efforts of the negative impact poaching has on our resources. A very large thank you goes out to Fred Thurston who hosted this event. Thank you, Fred. Maine game wardens and the Wall of Shame Trailer were present and well-received. These three events complete our 2009 fundraising efforts. On behalf of the Operation Game Thief Board of Directors, I thank everyone who contributed to and participated in these events for without your support, Operation Game Thief would not be as successful as it is.

Through the fundraising efforts of the Board of Directors of Operation Game Thief, Maine's OGT program now has the "Wall of Shame" trailer whose purpose is to increase the public's awareness of the disastrous effects that poaching has on our fish and wildlife resources. This 36 foot trailer, full of mounted fish and wildlife poached by thieves allow Maine wardens a means of communicating this message to far more people than ever before. 

What's in the Wall of Shame? Mounts of illegally poached fish, deer, moose, turkey and furbearers are a major part of the Wall of Shame. You will also find illegal implements such as gill nets, snares, jacklights and illegal firearms that were all used to poach our fish and wildlife. You will read interesting stories about these poaching incidents and how the poachers were apprehended by our Maine game wardens. We are sure that you will feel, as all concerned citizens, sportsmen and women feel about these thieves - they need to be caught and Maine Operation Game Thief is just one tool that wardens have to help catch poachers. The Wall of Shame is an effective way to get this message out to the public.

If you would like to have the trailer at one of your fish and game club functions, a civic group function, school or any other event that will allow for the greatest opportunity to increase the public's awareness of the work of poachers, then please call the Maine Warden Service in Augusta at 287-2766. We will make every effort to have a game warden and the Wall of Shame at your event.