The height of the hunting season is here, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is asking you to help find illegal hunters.The coordinator of the D-N-R’s “Turn in Poachers” or “TIP” hotline says 70-percent of their calls come in this time of year. But, Steve Dermand says they’re not catching every poacher. He says you can help by being alert to things that seem different, such as tire tracks in areas where they shouldn’t be.Dermand says the first thing you should do if you think someone is hunting illegally is to take notes to document all possible evidence that could help investigators.Dermand says cellphones have been a big help in catching poachers in recent years, as people in the field can see something happen and phone it in. He says there’ve been several cases in which officers were waiting for the poachers as they left an area.He says people who illegally hunt deer have been the biggest problem as they search for trophy antlers.If you see suspicious activity, you can call the “TIP” line at 800-532-2020. The number is active 24-hours a day.
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