With just over 7,000 wild turkeys checked in Arkansas this spring, it's no secret that hunting was a challenge.
Some couldn't play by the rules, resulting in a trend noticed by wildlife officers whose business is catching hunters who cut corners.
"Business was good this spring," Col. Brad Young, chief of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's enforcement division, said. "I'm proud of our officers for catching so many people breaking the law, but I'm concerned that they found so many major violations in the turkey woods this year."
Game and Fish officers issued citations for 152 major wildlife violations during this year's 21-day hunting season. They also assisted Nebraska and Kansas by uncovering 16 violations that occurred in those states during investigations in Arkansas.
Hunting turkeys over bait was the top violation officers found this year, with 72 cases being made in three weeks.
"We had some regions where we found more baited sites than we had officers to sit on and catch the poacher in the act on opening morning," Young said.
Young said most wildlife officers take particular pride in catching turkey poachers, as the species is seeing a decline in many states across the Southeast and every turkey poached is one that is being stolen from honest hunters and those trying to help turkeys rebound.
Changes to Arkansas's turkey season structure this year may have contributed to the increase in poaching, but those changes were made to help the state's turkey population, he said. Violating them is only hindering the future of the sport, he said.
"I'm an avid turkey hunter myself," Young said. "It's not supposed to be easy. You know that going into the hunt. But not following the regulations isn't just shooting yourself in the foot for next year, it's taking opportunities from others to enjoy this sport. That's why we work so hard to keep hunters honest and catch those who won't play by the rules."
Hunting in a closed season was the second most frequent violation wildlife officers found with 19 cases being made.
In addition to calls, Young said many officers spend hours poring over data on checked birds in their regions.
"We're a part of our communities, and we love hunting and fishing as much as anyone," Young said. "Everyone knows who the good hunters are, and everyone has thoughts about who's cutting corners. Adding data from hunting records and calls from anonymous sources all help give leads on possible violations that we can follow up on."