Does Poaching Really Matter?

District Game Warden Gavin Herbert

The reason I got into this profession was to protect the natural resources that we enjoy so much. It never crossed my mind as a game warden that I would have the opportunity to inspire others by writing directly to them. But there has never been a better time to inspire others and protect our way of life.

In a recent study published by the Boone and Crocket Club as part of their Poach and Pay program, it unveiled that only 3-5% of poachers get caught nationwide, meaning around 95% of poaching incidents go undetected. These poaching incidents that go unnoticed cost the American public billions of dollars that could be better spent on conservation.

Billion is not a small number and it is a huge loss to the public for the replacement cost of illegally taken wildlife. Not to mention that hunting is on a decline across the U.S., which is where much of the funding is generated for conservation.

This is a very thought-provoking dilemma for how the North American Model of Conservation is being undermined by those who discredit our system by poaching.

Never has it been clearer to me the harm that poachers cause. Hunting is often looked through a negative lens by portions of the public, and these negatives are often confirmed by examples of poaching. Now we all know hunters and poachers are not the same but how will someone that is not a part of our hunting community see it? In a world where support for hunting is declining, do we need poachers making our way of life look bad? How do we recruit people when their examples of hunting come from bad places or at least how do we gain support?

How poaching affects public perception, along with the impact it has on conservation, has never been clearer, so why do we as the public tolerate it?

This new information has brought more meaning to my career and the importance of what I do, but I believe that the changes will start with you. Wardens make many cases off of public reports. My best case ever came from a phone call. I could never have caught the man responsible without that call. We often cannot do it alone and it is important that you see why your role is so important.

It is easy to say that an individual warden is Behind the Badge, but what is truly Behind the Badge is a community of enthusiastic conservationists, hunters and anglers who support us. We cannot do it without you.

• Several splash pads and public pools are reopening across the Columbus area for the summer season.
• Many water attractions will open around Memorial Day weekend, with some already operational.

As central Ohio braces for a stretch of warm temperatures this week, families looking to cool off will soon have more options as splash pads, spraygrounds and public pools begin to reopen across the Columbus area.

A heat wave is expected to build across the region this week, with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s and low 90s by midweek, according to the National Weather Service.

While many community pools and water features won’t fully open until Memorial Day weekend, several splash pads are already operating or scheduled to reopen within the next several days.

Here’s where to find splash pads, fountains and public pools around central Ohio this summer:

Scioto Mile Fountain reopening May 22

The popular Scioto Mile Fountain at 233 S. Civic Center Drive is scheduled to reopen May 22 and operate through Sept. 7 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. 

• South Dakota is expanding its partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
• The state has increased the number of ICE-trained highway patrol troopers from five to a planned 41.
• The Department of Corrections has paroled 24 inmates directly to ICE for deportation.

On Monday, Gov. Larry Rhoden announced that his administration is expanding on its partnerships with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of the public safety efforts announced last July.

“My administration’s number one responsibility is keeping South Dakotans safe,” said Rhoden in a release. “We’ve been working hard to get illegal alien criminals off our streets, out of our prison, and out of our country. I am proud of the results our officers have delivered – they are keeping our state strong, safe and free for generations to come – and now there’s more work to do.”

The South Dakota Highway Patrol has enrolled more troopers in ICE training, Rhoden’s release stated, increasing the number of troopers trained eight-fold. Originally, five troopers were trained in July 2025, and 17 troopers are currently trained. With this third addition in force, that number will increase to 41 troopers.

“This partnership is showing strong results,” said Secretary of Public Safety Bob Perry in a release. “In the last twelve months the SD Highway Patrol has conducted 150 arrests of illegal alien criminals.”

More: ICE agents deployed across US, 2 South Dakota locations on list

The expansion is also supported by the Department of Homeland Security. South Dakota is anticipating a federal reimbursement of approximately $165,000, according to Rhoden’s release.

The Department of Corrections (DOC) and the South Dakota National Guard (SDNG) have continued to work with ICE as part of two other components of this state-federal partnership, the release stated.

LAWS: South Dakota has no law on automatic license plate readers

The DOC submitted additional inmates for parole to federal custody and deportation, according to the release. So far, 24 inmates have been paroled directly to ICE custody. DOC and ICE have identified an additional 14 inmates who will be considered for federal custody and deportation. Getting these undocumented immigrants out of the state prison system saves South Dakota taxpayers an average of $34,000 in annual cost per inmate, the administration said.

DOC is also implementing enhanced training of officers to serve warrants and assist ICE with deportations.

The SDNG deployment of seven guardsmen has continued since last fall. These active-duty soldiers in Sioux Falls and Rapid City are helping process deportations, acting as a force multiplier for South Dakota ICE officers, Rhoden’s office stated in the release. Through May 15, the SDNG has assisted directly in processing 664 illegal immigrants who have been deported out of South Dakota.