2007 TIP-MONT Rewards Announced

Friday, May 02, 2008
Hunting

The board of TIP-MONT, Montana’s outdoor crime stopper program, recently awarded $14,900 to 27 individuals who called the TIP-MONT hot line in 2007 and provided valuable information helping to solve outdoor crimes.

TIP-MONT logged nearly 1,400 calls in the past year that provided wardens with useful information. About 800 of them provided sufficient detail to enable an immediate investigation by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game wardens.   More than 120 tickets were written totaling about $11,000 in fines and $17,000 in restitution. Some larger cases remain under investigation and additional fines and restitution may result in 2008.

Another 124 tips were forwarded to other law enforcement organizations including the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and local Sheriffs.

FWP’s TIP-MONT Board represents a cross section of those concerned about crimes in Montana’s outdoors. The board reviews the recommendations made by FWP wardens and determines the amount of the reward, ranging from $50 to $1,000. Rewards are based on the relative value of the tip and on the severity of the crime. Depending on the situation, additional rewards may be provided by outdoor organizations and through private donations.   If the violation involves the illegal use of archery equipment, for example, the Montana Bow Hunters Association will contribute up to $500 in addition to the TIP-MONT reward.

Here are two TIP-MONT calls that recently received rewards.

• A TIP-MONT caller received a $500 reward for reporting information that led to the successful investigation of a case involving a mule deer buck taken during a closed season. Once apprehended, the suspect bragged he had poached for 25 years and this was the first time he had been caught. This criminal was fined $1,000 and an additional $500 in restitution.
• In another example, FWP received two reports from a caller with information on a nonresident employed in Montana who had allegedly committed a number of big game hunting violations. The case was investigated and resulted in $16,000 in fines and several thousand dollars in restitution. The criminal also lost his hunting privileges for a total of seven years. The TIP-Mont caller recently received a $700 reward for his information.

Most crimes have at least one witness who overhears or sees information that could lead to identifying the perpetrator. If you have information that may help identify and stop a poacher or other criminal in the outdoors, call TIP-MONT now at 1-800-847-6668.

Those who report information to TIP-MONT may remain anonymous and may choose whether to receive a reward or not when the information they supply helps to solve a crime.