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$1,000 Reward Offered In Illegal Javelina Slaying Near Pima

The Arizona Game and Fish Department Operation Game Thief program is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in connection with the illegal killing of five javelina found dead Dec. 15 north of Pima.

A boar was found in a field to the west of Marshall Lane, just north of the Gila River, 1.5 miles from Bryce-Eden Road. Approximately 100 yards north of that location a sow and three juveniles were discovered. All had apparently been shot with a rifle and left to waste.

Game and Fish is seeking for questioning the driver of a white full-size truck seen Dec. 12, along Marshall Lane between noon and 3 p.m., when shots were heard in the area.

“Poaching is not hunting. It’s a crime against nature and the citizens of Arizona, to whom the state’s wildlife belong,” said Field Supervisor Duane Aubuchon of Game and Fish in Safford.

Individuals with information about the case are urged to call Operation Game Thief at (800) 352-0700, and reference OGT #11-002077. Callers may remain anonymous. Information may also be reported online at http://www.azgfd.gov/ogt_form.shtml.

Most poaching cases in Arizona are second-degree misdemeanors punishable by up to four months in jail and a $750 fine. Civil penalties may also apply.

Game and Fish issued 1,143 game citations in 2010, a 7 percent increase from 1,060 in 2009.