OSP Sgt. explains impacts of poaching
By Logan Bagett on Tuesday, October 4th, 2022 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
GRANT/HARNEY COUNTIES – The Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division is seeking public assistance with identifying two subjects and/or a vehicle involved in a potential elk poaching incident in Deschutes County.
Sgt. Erich Timko is the Supervisor of the East/Central Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife team which covers Harney, Grant, Wheeler and Gilliam Counties. He explains part of the impacts of poaching:
“I would just say that poaching doesn’t just steal from hunters, it steals from everybody. We have a lot of individuals that come here that just like to enjoy watching wildlife or seeing wildlife and seeing their habitat that’s not destroyed or polluted.
I would just ask the hunting public and citizens to keep that in mind—we really do need your help. So, if you do see suspicious activity, please take the time to report it.”
Call the Tip-line by dialing *OSP from a cell phone, or email TIP@osp.oregon.gov. Find the full Oregon State Police press release regarding the incident in Deschutes County below:
(Release from OSP)
Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife is seeking public assistance with identifying two subjects and/or a vehicle parked at the intersection of HWY 20W and Innes Market between 5:00 A.M. and 6:10 AM on September 26, 2022.
On September 26, 2022, at approximately 6:10 A.M., two subjects, a male and female, were observed leaving private property near the intersection of HWY 20 and Tweed Road near Tumalo in Deschutes County. The pair did not have permission to be on the property and were seen packing out the head and antlers of a bull elk to a vehicle parked at the intersection of HWY 20W and Innes Market Rd. The witness believed it to be a red pickup.
An investigation by the Oregon State Police, with the assistance of the landowner, revealed that the subjects had processed an unknown size bull elk on private property. A second bull elk was located deceased within an agricultural pivot on the same property. Both animals appeared to be harvested with archery equipment. No hunters had permission to hunt the property. Archery elk season ended the day prior on September 25, 2022.
OSP Fish & Wildlife Division is urging anyone with information about this case to call the Oregon State Police Tip-line at 1-800-452-7888, *OSP (*677), or email at TIP@osp.oregon.gov. Please reference case number SP2225969.
***Report Wildlife and Habitat Law Violators***
The Turn In Poachers (TIP) program offers preference points or cash rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation, to a suspect, for the unlawful killing of wildlife, and or waste of big game. Cash rewards can also be awarded for turning in people who destroy habitat, illegally obtain licenses/tags, and for the unlawful lending/borrowing of big game tags. Learn more: https://www.oregon.gov/osp/programs/fw/Pages/tip.aspx
PREFERENCE POINT REWARDS:
* 5 Points-Mountain Sheep
* 5 Points-Rocky Mountain Goat
* 5 Points-Moose
* 5 Points-Wolf
* 4 Points-Elk
* 4 Points-Deer
* 4 Points-Antelope
* 4 Points-Bear
* 4 Points-Cougar
Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) Cash Rewards:
* $1,000 Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, and Moose
* $500 Elk, Deer, and Antelope
* $300 Bear, Cougar, and Wolf
* $300 Habitat Destruction
* $200 – Illegally obtaining Oregon hunting or angling license or tags
* $200 – Unlawful Lending/Borrowing Big Game Tag(s)
* $100 Upland Birds and Waterfowl
* $100 Game Birds or Furbearers
* $100 Game Fish and Shellfish
Oregon Wildlife Coalition (OWC) Cash Rewards:
Birds
$500 Hawk, Falcon, Eagle, Owl, Osprey
All other protected avian species: see category below for listed species
Mammals
$500 Cougar, Bobcat, Beaver (public lands only), Black bears, Bighorn Sheep, Marten, Fisher, Sierra Nevada Red Fox
Species listed as “threatened” or “endangered” under state or federal Endangered Species Act (excludes fish)
$1,000 (e.g. wolf, wolverine, kit fox, red tree vole, Canada lynx, sea otter, Columbian white-tailed deer, California brown pelican, western snowy plover, California least tern, northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, short-tailed albatross, streaked horned lark, yellow-billed cuckoo, leatherback sea turtle, olive ridley sea turtle, Oregon spotted frog, green sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle)
