Poaching helps no one.

It’s bad for the environment, throwing wildlife officials’ habitat management plans off-kilter when an animal is killed unexpectedly.

It’s bad for hunters, taking an animal at which a legal hunter could have had a shot — and giving hunters a bad name.

And, as someone learned recently, it’s bad for the poachers, who end up paying hefty fines and losing their ability to hunt legally.

Two people recently helped the Michigan Department of Natural Resources arrest three northern Michigan relatives who’d poached three elk in the Pigeon River Country State Forest, The News reported on its Outdoors page recently. The two tipsters got to split a $1,000 reward from the Safari Club International’s Michigan Involvement Committee, the DNR said.

We’d like to thank the tipsters who helped bring the poachers to justice, and encourage any of our readers aware of any other illegal hunting to make authorities aware.

If poaching helps no one, ending poaching helps everyone.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)