Roosevelt Bull Elk killed, left to waste in NW Oregon; Search on for culprit

(Editor’s note: An image of the dead elk is at the bottom of this story. It may be difficult to look at.)

Oregon State Police wildlife investigators are seeking the public’s help to find whoever shot and left to waste a Roosevelt Bull Elk in Columbia County Wednesday.

OSP said it happened between midnight and 4:00 am. near Taylor Lane and Battle Creek on Highway 47 near Mist, Oregon. That’s about 43 miles northwest of Portland.

Police say a small, dark colored, loud passenger vehicle was seen fleeing the area northbound on Highway 47. 

Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact OSP Senior Trooper Morgan through the Turn in Poachers (TIP) hotline at 1-800-452-7888, or OSP (*677), or his cell phone at 503-396-2408. This is case number SP23-293064.

RELATED: Mule deer doe left to waste in Baker County; Oregon State Police seek tips

RELATED: Buck deer poached near Hood River; OSP asking public’s help to find culprit

This is the second animal wasting case OSP has reported in the past couple of weeks. A mule deer was unlawfully taken and left to waste in Baker County on Aug. 29, OSP said.

The state of Oregon is getting tougher on poachers. Last month, a Pendleton man was sentenced to serve 14 days in jail during elk hunting season in each of the next three years. He was also ordered to pay a $75,000 fine.

As a reminder, there is a program that offers cash rewards and preference point rewards to people who provide information leading to arrests for poaching and wasting. Oregon’s Turn In Poachers (TIP) program is a collaboration between the Oregon State Police, Oregon Hunters Association, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Wildlife Coalition, Oregon Outfitter and Guides Association and the Oregon State Marine Board. The form can be found here.

Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) Cash Rewards

• $2,000 Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat & Moose 
• $1,000 Elk, Deer & Antelope 
• $600 Bear, Cougar & Wolf
• $300 Habitat Destruction 
• $200 Illegally obtaining Oregon hunting or angling license or tags
• $200 Unlawful Lending/Borrowing Big Game Tag(s)
• $200 Game Fish & Shellfish
• $200 Game Birds or Furbearers
• $200 Spotlighting
• $200 Snagging/Attempt to Snag

ODFW Preference Points Rewards

• 5 Points Bighorn Sheep
• 5 Points Rocky Mountain Goat
• 5 Points Moose
• 5 Points Wolf
• 4 Points Elk
• 4 Points Deer
• 4 Points Pronghorn Antelope
• 4 Points Bear
• 4 Points Cougar

Oregon Wildlife Coalition (OWC) Cash Rewards

• Birds
  $500 Hawk, Falcon, Eagle, Owl, Osprey
• 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)

Oregon Outfitters & Guides Association Cash Rewards

• $200 Acting as an Outfitter Guide for the Illegal Killing of Wildlife, Illegally Obtaining Oregon Hunting or Angling Licenses or Tags, or Illegally Offering to Act as an Outfitter Guide as defined in ORS 704.010 and 704.020.