2014 Annual Report • Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 35
• Officers took advantage of a smart phone poaching ap, which
allows them to record and submit photos of wildlife that are
illegally taken using GIS software. These incidents can then be
displayed on a map and analyzed to identify potential problem
areas, establish patrol routines and prevent future violations.
• A wildlife case involving violations spanning several years
came to a close when a couple was ordered to pay $11,400 after
being found guilty of multiple hunting violations. The primary
subject of this investigation also received a 10-year revocation of
all hunting, fishing and trapping privilege and had one antelope
and 27 fishing state records removed from the books.
Fines paid for illegal hunting and fishing cases are allocated
to the school district in the jurisdiction in which the case was
made. Restitution fees for wildlife taken illegally are placed in the
Commission's Game Fund.
U S E O F S I D E - S C A N S O N A R E X P A N D S
Ten side-scan sonar units were deployed in 2014 to assist in
locating and recovering persons or property under water. Nine
conservation officers received advanced training on this new
equipment. This equipment was used in the recovery of three
drowning victims and numerous instances where personal
property was recovered. In one instance, conservation officers
were called to assist a sheriff's office in searching a sandpit with
hopes of solving a cold case from more than 10 years ago.
