Two Oregon men have been indicted on multiple charges related to the unlawful taking of big game animals.
Oregon State Police say troopers began their investigation in the summer of 2020 after learning that several people were committing the crimes.
After collecting evidence over the course of a year, a search warrant led to a Pendleton residence in December 2021. OSP said evidence seized in the search included six sets of deer antlers and three sets of elk antlers that included a 7×7 trophy bull elk. A rifle, a bow and meat were also seized.
Walker Erickson, 28, of Pendleton and Hunter Wagner, 23, of Pilot Rock have since been indicted on the following charges:
Walker Erickson
- 3 Counts of Unlawful Take of a Cow Elk
- 4 Counts of Unlawful Take of a Whitetail Buck
- 2 Counts of Unlawful Take of a Mule Deer Buck
- 4 Counts of Unlawful Take of Bull Elk
- 3 Counts of Waste of Game
- 1 Count of Unlawful Possession of Big Game
- 1 Count of Hunting While Criminally Trespassing
- 1 Count of Hunting on Another’s Cultivated or Enclosed Land
- 1 Count of Hunting from a Motor Vehicle
- 2 Counts of Tampering with Physical Evidence
Hunter Wagner
- 7 Counts of Counseling, Aiding, or Assisting in Another’s Unlawful Take of a Big Game Animal
Oregon’s Turn In Poachers (TIP) program offers preference points or cash rewards for information leading toward a conclusion in the investigation of the illegal killing of wildlife and waste of big game.
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).
