Just wanted to give a salute to Adams County Wildlife Officer, Chris Gilkey, for an excellent job this past weekend.

I've had an issue for the past few years with dogs running deer on my place. Last year, things changed when I actually heard a guy on a neighboring property working his dogs during gun season. That led me to suspect I had a poaching problem rather than just a dog issue.

Fast forward to last Saturday....I get in early and set-up for a morning hunt and then just before 8:00 I hear the dogs start trailing across my farm. About 15 minutes later my buddy sends me a text "TRESSPASSER". I head down the hill to meet him but by the time I get there the guy had left. My buddy tells me that the guy has 3 beagles with him. This guy also told him that he was part of a larger group that was also using dogs.

I called the TIP line and after a painful conversation with a gentleman who was definately not from Ohio, Officer Gilkey called me back within minutes. My buddy and I met with him at my truck and relayed the complaint. It is very rugged country, and finding the perpetrators would not be easy. However, Officer Gilkey stuck with it and busted the tresspasser and the owner of the dogs.

Officer Gilkey contacted me later that evening to close the case. The tresspasser received several tickets ranging from hunting without permission to hunting with dogs. The owner of the dogs was also ticketed and admitted to using them in the area for years.

I hope this curtails some of my tresspassing/theft/dog issues...it can't hurt.