 Interviews conducted with 41 poachers in the Atchafalaya River basin in Louisiana revealed that 37 of them hunt to provide food for themselves and their families; 11 stated that poaching is part of their personal or cultural history; nine earn money from the sale of poached game to support their families; eight feel exhilarated and thrilled by outsmarting game wardens.In African rural areas, the key motives for poaching are the lack of employment opportunities and a limited potential for agriculture and livestock production.Poor people rely on natural resources for their survival and generate cash income through the sale of bushmeat, which attracts high prices in urban centres.