The news that the Oregon Department of Justice has hired a special prosecutor to crack down on poachers did not roll across social media or the news wires with a snap, but it is a move that most hunters should, and do, applaud.

The new slot appears to have been created in response to a surge in unsolved illegal killing of deer and elk.

Jay Hall was hired recently by the Justice Department to be the new assistant attorney general focused on enforcing anti-poaching laws.

Finding a way to stop poaching was also a priority, in the past, for lawmakers as the Oregon Legislature approved money to boost the effort in 2019.

The move to hire a special prosecutor to focus on anti-poaching initiatives is a good idea. The more that can be done in this regard, the better.

Poaching is a terrible crime that damages one of the region’s great attributes. For most law-abiding and sensible hunters, poaching is a crime that wouldn’t even enter into their thinking. Those who cherish our region’s attributes — including the ability to go out each season and hunt game — know that poaching hurts many while helping very few.

Our ability to hunt each year is one of those sacrosanct features many of us enjoy yearly, and when someone poaches an animal — whether it’s deer or elk — it impacts every one of us who hand over cash to get a tag.

Legal hunting is one of those intangible elements to our area that make it such a great place to live, work and play. When someone breaks the law and kills game out of season illegally, the entire community suffers.

There is no doubt that poaching will be a part of our Western landscape, regardless of how senseless it is. However, a move like that by the Department of Justice to create a position that will put a spotlight on the crime is good news. The more emphasis we can put on stopping the crime of poaching, the better off our unique way of life will be.