Reward offered in illegal killing of a Cooper's hawk northwest of Tucson

A Cooper’s hawk was found dead last week — killed with a 5-inch-long dart — and state wildlife officials are offering a reward of up to $150 for information leading to an arrest in the illegal killing.

The dead bird was recovered on Sept. 7 in the Picture Rocks area northwest of Tucson, the Arizona Game and Fish Department reported.

“The dart was more than 5 inches long with a broad head point and may have been shot from a device using compressed air,” according to a department news release.

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“Poachers are not hunters. They are thieves stealing wildlife from the citizens of Arizona,” said Raul Vega, regional supervisor of Game and Fish in Tucson. “Killing a Cooper’s hawk is not only a violation of state law, but a federal offense as well.”

Illegal take of wildlife is punishable by up to a $750 fine and six months in jail under state law.

Game and fish officials said that anyone with information about the hawk killing could contact the agency’s Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-352-0700.