Georgia likely to join wildlife agreement with other states to stop poachers

ATLANTA - Out-of-state hunters would have to undergo limited background checks before getting a Georgia hunting license if Georgia joins 17 other states in an agreement to stop serious poachers. <br> <br> The Wildlife Violator Compact, first started in 1985, allows states to share information about people who have had hunting or fishing licenses revoked for serious violations. <br> <br> Georgia would be the first in the Southeast to join, although Florida and Tennessee are considering joining. <br> <br> Supporters say the compact has two benefits. First, a person who applies for a Georgia license would be flagged on the computers used to grant licenses if he has serious violations in another state in the compact. <br> <br> The background check would only show wildlife-related violations. <br> <br> Joining the group also would allow state officials to write citations to out-of-state hunters for minor infractions, just as if those hunters were Georgia residents. <br> <br> Wildlife workers now have to take an out-of-state hunter to jail to process even a simple violation, such as not wearing enough fluorescent orange on a hunt. It&#39;s an inconvenience that affects several hundred hunters a year in Georgia. <br> <br> ``It ruins the trip, and it&#39;s usually just a minor violation,&#39;&#39; said Terry West, assistant chief of law enforcement for the state Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division. <br> <br> Bill sponsor Rep. Bob Lane, D-Statesboro, called the measure ``hunter-friendly&#39;&#39; because visitors could handle fines by mail once they go home. <br> <br> States have similar agreements for minor traffic violations, which is why people can pay speeding tickets by mail in states where they&#39;re not licensed. <br> <br> In Nevada, which joined the wildlife compact in 1990, hunters have not complained about it taking longer to get a license, said Nevada Chief Game Warden Rob Buonamici. <br> <br> ``It doesn&#39;t affect the efficiency of getting a license. But it does take wildlife criminals out of the system, so they can&#39;t have their license revoked next door and come right on in and do it here,&#39;&#39; Buonamici said. <br> <br> Georgia has poaching problems, especially along the coast, West said, with some shrimpers and fishermen coming to Georgia after they lose a license in South Carolina. <br> <br> In some cases, wildlife officials know a fisherman is unscrupulous, but have no cause to deny him a license here. The DNR also is worried about poachers that target black bear, West said. <br> <br> About 80 hunters or fishermen currently have suspended Georgia licenses, he said. <br> <br> ``The mobility of these wildlife violators is increasing. They know what states aren&#39;t in the compact and go operate there. Some of these guys are professionals,&#39;&#39; West said. <br> <br> The bill is pending before the House Rules Committee. It&#39;s considered likely to pass because it&#39;s supported by both the DNR and Democrats in the Legislature. <br> <br> ``If a person has a record so egregious that their own state has taken away their license, it doesn&#39;t make a lot of sense to let that person have that privilege in other states,&#39;&#39; said Ron Bailey, chief of law enforcement for the DNR Wildlife Resources Division.