Poachers Are Robbing Us Blind: New Study Exposes $1.4 Billion in Annual Costs

We write a lot of stories about poachers around here and as compelling as some of those stories might be, there’s a part of us that wishes they were, at times, harder to find. Heading up a team that sets out into the interwebs to uncover stories from the great outdoors on a daily basis, we find more poaching stories than I believe any of us would like to admit. 

Whether it be those cases of mistaken identity, the fella busted for sneaking a backyard doe into the family freezer or the brazen influencer killing a trophy elk for social media clout, each and every one of those animals removed from the landscape illegally comes at a cost. And we as hunters are footing the bill.

In a groundbreaking effort to expose the shadowy underbelly of wildlife crime, the boys and girls at the Boone and Crockett Club, the venerable conservation organization founded by Teddy Rex himself, has released the results of its multi-year "Poach and Pay" Project. This comprehensive study, spanning five years of rigorous research, shines a light on the "dark figure" of poaching in the United States: the vast majority of illegal wildlife killings that evade detection. Drawing from surveys, interviews, and advanced statistical modeling, the report not only quantifies the scale of this problem but also highlights its profound economic and ecological toll. As wildlife belongs to all Americans, this report is helping prove what we, as a group, have long suspected: poaching is no longer just some small-time backwoods misdemeanor; it’s a straight-up heist on our natural resources that is costing us $1.4 billion a year and is working tirelessly to erode the public perception of law-abiding hunting and anglers.

The "Poach and Pay" study employed a Bayesian statistical framework to estimate poaching's hidden extent, revealing a crisis far larger than previously acknowledged. And the data is legit too.

Based on data from eight diverse states, the research incorporated insights from over 1,000 stakeholders including wardens, hunters, landowners, and even convicted poachers who all took turns spilling the beans in surveys and interviews. Researchers cross-referenced enforcement logs, wildlife telemetry (think radio-collared elk), and self-reported criminal confessions. The result? A rock-solid estimate that poaching’s “dark figure” is a massive blind spot we can’t ignore.

The study’s gut-punch lies in the revelation that a staggering 96% of poaching flies directly under the radar, making poaching one of the most elusive crimes here in America. That’s right: for every poacher caught with a corpse or set of antlers in their trunk, 24 others are (easily) ghosting game wardens. Compare that to urban crimes like burglary (58% undetected) or assault (43% undetected), and you’ve got perhaps one of the most covert crimes being committed out there today. With remote forests and wilderness, a lack of witnesses and wardens stretched thinner than a vegan’s patience at a butcher shop, it’s not hard to imagine how these law-breakers feel as though the odds are forever in their favor.

In the event that the fact that only four percent of poachers are getting caught wasn’t enough to spit out your morning coffee, let’s get a little more personal. The study pegs the annual financial hit of poaching and poaching related accessories in the neighborhood of $1.4 billion. Breaking down that figure starts with the $1.13 billion in “replacement costs” for dead animals ($2,171 per whitetail deer or $30,000 for a trophy elk) and is rounded out with another $302.6 million in fines that never get collected because poachers skate free.

To put that in perspective, hunters coughed up $1.015 billion for licenses just last year, and the feds chipped in $1.185 billion for wildlife restoration - further proof that poaching is bleeding us dry, outstripping both of those already impressive numbers.

Something we all need to remember here is that this cash isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s money that could’ve funded habitat restoration, more wardens, or better trails and access. Instead, it’s gone, putting our operational budgets at a loss on an annual basis.

The study breaks down the poacher psyche, and it’s a mixed bag of greed, stupidity, and desperation. They found nine reasons people poach, but the big ones remain “trophy poaching” (chasing big racks for clout or cash) and “opportunistic poaching” (see deer, shoot deer, no brain cells involved). Some do it for subsistence, others for the thrill or to supply shady markets. 

Above all else, surveys showed that a whopping 90% of wardens, hunters, and landowners are visibly pissed about it, with 70% in agreement that it’s seriously messing with wildlife populations and making hunters look like the bad guys.

“It’s critical to differentiate between legal, Fair Chase hunters and poachers,” Boone and Crockett Club chief executive officer Tony A.Schoonen said in last week’s press conference. “By quantifying the Dark Figure of undetected crime, identifying judicial bottlenecks, and presenting a structured deterrent framework, the research equips state and federal wildlife agencies with data-driven strategies to reduce illegal take and protect America’s wildlife heritage.”

Perhaps the best part of this study and research is that rather than only providing the public with the problems, the good folks at B&C have actually started working on a battle plan that could be crazy enough to work. 

Yes, we’d all love to see more wardens on the landscape, but without putting a plug in that $1.4 billion drain, we need to look elsewhere in the interim. We’ve already seen an increase in the use of trail cams and drones to help monitor wildlife populations and we’ll likely see more of that tech used to track down poachers as well. Where wardens can leverage tech in the field, they likely will and it should help rack up some additional charges to help fund more boots on the ground in the future.

In another tech-focused avenue, researchers are inviting the social media warriors to get involved as well. I can personally attest that this is already working. We post our stories out there as much as possible (despite despising social media) and you all do your part sharing the stories and most importantly, your distaste for the blatant lack of respect for our laws and natural resources. Keeping our voices in sync on the subject not only works to shame these criminals, but also to unite us and show outsiders that we condemn any and all crimes against wildlife.

And finally, the bone in all of our sides is the seeming inconsistencies in how these cases are prosecuted. With many of these criminals getting off with a mere slap on the wrist, we need to work to push for harsher fines, easier prosecutions, and judges who don’t treat poaching like a parking ticket. I’d personally like to see more states get together in an effort to close loopholes and punish these guys accordingly.

Poaching is a cancer, and Boone and Crockett’s “Poach and Pay” study just gave us the CT scan to help identify where the rot is taking hold. Now it remains up to us to continually condemn these actions publicly, get involved with local wardens and act as an extension of their eyes and ears where and when we can. There is one key phrase that has proven to thwart a variety of serious crimes across the country and it is one that all outdoor recreationists ought to cling to; if you see something, say something.