Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers is a cooperative wildlife law enforcement program sponsored by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Nebraska Wildlife Protectors Association (NWPA). It is similar to the well-known Crime Stoppers program and offers rewards for information resulting in arrests for game law violations. The Game and Parks Commission provides an anonymous online form, a toll-free hotline, investigative operations and public information. The Wildlife Protectors, a group of concerned citizens, handles fundraising and reward payment.
Rewards will be paid in cases where charges are filed; The Wildlife Protectors Association board decides the amount of each reward under guidelines set forth in the organization bylaws. Rewards can be paid in cash or by check as the informant wishes.
Reporting violations
There are three ways to report game or fish violations. Those who report crimes may choose to remain anonymous.
1. Submit a wildlife violation online.
2. Call the toll-free Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers hotline in Lincoln at 1-800-742-7627.
3. Contact your nearest conservation officer any time. In many cases, an investigation can be initiated much faster if information is given directly to the nearest conservation officer.
Those who choose to remain anonymous are assigned a number. Information and reward payments are processed under that number so anonymity is maintained throughout the process.
Preparing to report a violation
When reporting a violation please provide the following information:
- Description of the suspect — name, address, telephone, physical description (weight, height, hair color, eyes, clothing and any other pertinent information). Was the person armed or carrying a concealed weapon?
- Type of violation — What took place and where did it happen? Give the date, time and location.
- Other details — Were firearms involved in the violation? What about the suspect’s vehicle? If you noticed the year, make, color or style, or the license plate number or any other distinguishing characteristics, please convey this information to the conservation officer.
- Species affected — What animals or fish were involved, how many, and where are they now? What about other physical evidence – like hides, entrails, guns, cartridge cases and knives? Will the illegal game or evidence be moved soon? If so, when and where to?
- Were there other witnesses? Give their names and any other information about the violation, suspect or violations that you may have noted.
Common wildlife violations
- Hunt, fish, trap on private land without permission of the owner or agent.
- Lend or borrow a permit to/from another person.
- Party hunt in Nebraska. Every hunter must shoot his own game.
- Shoot from any public highway, road or bridge.
- Have or carry a loaded shotgun in or on any vehicle on any highway or roadway.
- Interfere with a person lawfully engaged in hunting, trapping or fishing.
- Procure a permit under an assumed name.
- Falsely state the place of legal residence.
- Hunt or secure a permit if disqualified from holding a permit.
- Take a legal limit of any species and return to take more of the same species in the same day.
- Hunt game birds with any swivel gun, rifle or pistol.
- Possess a pistol, while hunting, if under 18 years of age.
- Dig, cut or destroy natural or planted vegetation on any state-owned or state-controlled area.
- Hunt, take, or trap any wild mammal or wild bird within a 100/200-yard radius of an inhabited dwelling or livestock feedlot, unless permission to do so has been granted by the owner or tenant of that dwelling or feedlot (100 yards for shotgun/archery and 200 yards for rifle).
- Communicate the location of any game animal or game bird by radio or other electronic device to or from any aircraft, vessel, vehicle, snowmobile or other conveyance one day before or during the open season.
- Take migratory game birds with a trap, snare, net, crossbow, rifle, pistol, swivel gun, shotgun larger than 10 gauge, punt gun, battery gun, fishhook, poison, drug, explosive or stupefying substance.
- Use records or tapes of bird calls, sounds, or electrically amplified imitations of bird calls to take game birds.
- Hunt or take any game birds by baiting or attracting them to the place where hunted by distribution of grain or other feeds. Federal regulations consider an area baited for 10 days after bait is removed.
- Possess more than one daily bag limit of migratory game birds while in the field or when returning from the field to one’s car, hunting camp, etc.
- Shoot mourning doves or bobwhite quail except when in flight.
Support Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers
The Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers program operates solely on donations from people interested in protecting wildlife from illegal poaching activity. All donations to the program are tax-deductible. If you would like to contribute, send your donation to:
Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers
Nebraskaland National Bank
P.O. Box 829
North Platte, NE 69103
