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Boise Police looking for Fish and Game trailer thief; trailer, contents valued at over $100,000

Posted at 8:55 AM, Apr 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-21 11:57:32-04

Idaho Fish and Game have recovered some of the items stolen in a recent theft of a department trailer.

Department officials said a thief initially made off with over $100,000 worth of equipment inside.

Nearly two weeks ago on a Friday evening, the state wildlife management agency's white, cargo trailer filled with animal capture and collaring equipment disappeared. The license plate number on the trailer is: A 14607.

It was last seen parked outside of the Walmart in Jerome. Store surveillance video captured a photo of the suspect of which they are urging anyone who knows who the man is to come forward. You can remain anonymous, and the Boise Property Crimes Detective Unit is offering a reward for tips that lead to an arrest by dialing (208) 343-COPS.

Authorities say the man in the photo hooked the trailer up to his white, Chevrolet Tahoe and has since ditched some of the collars that have GPS technology. They have recovered about half of the 200 collars that are worth an average of $700 a piece.

"There's been quite a bit of time by our wildlife folks trying to figure out which collars are gone and seeing what we can maybe do to track them because they are a tracking collar," said Chris Wright, Idaho Fish and Game assistant chief of enforcement. "And, so, we're able to tell if certain things happen. It can go live, and we can track it that way."

The trailer was taken from the Idaho Fish and Game headquarters in Boise. They've since secured at least one other trailer in their parking lot with a device that makes it impossible to hook up to.

"I really don't know if he's going to try to sell the trailer or try to sell any of the equipment left in it or not, or if it's just purely personal gain," Wright said.

Some of the items have been recovered, Fish and Game officials said. They said the thief  dumped the items at random locations between Boise, Mountain Home, and Jerome. But the trailer, together with most of the other capture gear, remains missing.

The collars are used to track mortality rates and determine migratory patterns for various species, as well as help officials set hunting seasons. According to Wright, they are typically paid for by way of hunting licensing and tag fees.