I also hope that the perpetrators are discovered and convicted.
When folks think of poachers, what usually comes to mind is someone out in the field illegally taking live game. However, poaching also extends to the illegal taking of fossils. There are big bucks to be made in the sale of fossils, especially vertebrate fossils.
This type of activity has been going on all over the country (and world wide) on our protected federal and state lands for a long time and only seems to be getting worse, especially with the advent of the
internet guaranteeing an easy sale. As long as there is money to be made, this reprehensible activity is going to continue to haunt us like a plague.
Rarely is this this type activity a crime of opportunity, most illegal takes are premeditated and carefully planned. These criminals are smart, knowing what to look for and where.They are stealthy and usually case the localities in great detail. Very few poachers are ever caught and convicted and when they are it's usually by dumb blind luck.
More remote cameras in the field, increased patrols, drones, etc. will help as a deterrent but that takes a greater commitment to the additional allocation of already scarce resources. In my opinion what would really help is a legitimate wholesale/retail vetting process and I hate to say (gulp!) government regulation of private party sales similar what has been done with the ivory trade.
