(Editor’s note: A photo of one of the elk that was poached appears in the video above and at the bottom of this story.)
It what has become a near-weekly occurrence, an elk poaching has been reported in Oregon and state police are asking the public’s help to find who is responsible. This time, it was two elk and it happened the distance of a football field away from Interstate 5.
Oregon State Police said its Fish and Wildlife division received a report on at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday of two elk being shot within 100 yards of the freeway in Glendale.
OSP said the two elk — on bull and one cow — were in an open field on the west side of the freeway. A photo provided by OSP showed that one of the elk was lying dead with the freeway in the background, and it appeared to be closer than 100 yards.
The bull elk was not touched, OSP said, but the cow was “processed with the edible portions taken.” OSP said this indicates the people involved had been in the area for a lengthy amount of time.
It’s also believed those involved used a flashlight in the field between 7:00 p.m. Tuesday and 7:00 a.m. Wednesday.
Someone was also reported driving a silver mid-sized pickup truck with a rife along the freeway earlier in the day.
RELATED: OSP looking for 2 people, truck after poaching of elk in Deschutes County
RELATED: Another bull elk poached in Oregon; 4th in 2 weeks
OSP Fish and Wildlife is urging anyone with information about the identity of the persons or vehicle, in this case, to call the OSP tip line at 1-800-452-7888, *OSP (*677), or email at TIP@osp.oregon.gov. Reference case number SP22288310.
This is at least the fifth elk poaching reported in Oregon in the past four weeks.
On Oct. 3, OSP said it was looking for two people in the poaching of a bull elk near Tumalo in Deschutes County.
And on Sept. 29, OSP reported it was investigating a bull elk poaching in Vernonia.
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)
