'Thrill killing' poachers pose threat to wildlife

By Jeff DeLong, USA TODAY Deer, elk and even raccoons have a new type of predator to worry about: Poachers who kill increasingly for the thrill of it. Scott Talbott, an assistant division chief with Wyoming’s Fish and Game Department, calls it “wanton destruction” that goes beyond shooting. Poachers run down deer with cars or snowmobiles, and chase raccoons, then beat them to death with clubs. They also shoot deer, elk and antelope, sometimes removing valuable antlers but often leaving the carcass to rot on the ground, Talbott and other wildlife officials said. “It’s thrill killing — people just going out and killing stuff,” Talbott said. “We have seen a significant increase of that in Wyoming. It’s disturbing.” In Wisconsin, state wildlife officials are teaming with researchers from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to study the trend, which they said has emerged in recent years. The thrill killing usually involves youths ages 14 to 23, who gather in groups with the intent of killing as many animals as possible, said Chuck Horn of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. “These are cases where they’re just looking for something to do,” Horn said. “It seems like in some of these cases kids are looking for instant gratification, like a video game. …

‘Thrill killing’ poachers pose threat to wildlife via The Oil Drum