Recently, in a single week, a buck, a doe, and a bull elk were killed illegally in Oregon. Poaching has always been a problem in Oregon, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW).
With new anti-poaching legislation passed in 2019, four new trooper positions were added to the existing 124; an additional sergeant and a roving prosecutor have become available to prosecute cases across county lines.
Oregon is one of two states — Alaska being the other — that use troopers to prosecute crimes against wildlife, while other states use game wardens. However, with over 90,000 square miles of land, Oregon troopers are not likely to discover the majority of crimes.
Through the Turn in Poachers (TIP) tip line, the Oregon Hunters Association is offering up to $1,500 in reward money for tips leading to arrest or citation of the offenders in the case of last month’s deer and elk killing. Alternatively, the monetary reward can be substituted with preference points for a drawing for hunter licenses in hard-to-hunt places.
Yvonne Shaw, who coordinates ODFW’s Stop Poaching campaign, works on increasing education and awareness of the crimes.
“From the hunters and anglers to kayakers and hikers, bikers and surfers or anyone who’s out enjoying our wild places,” Shaw told OPB. “We want them to be aware that crimes can be happening. We want to educate them on how to recognize and report those crimes.”
It is through education that people may be able to recognize that an animal was killed illegally and purposefully.
“It may be shots in the night, or a vehicle moving up and down a road slowly casting light out, or a vehicle parked in a haphazard way,” Shaw said. “Or if you come across a carcass on the side of the road, it may look like an animal that was struck by a car, but that may not be what happened.”
According to Shaw, poaching does not necessarily only involve big game, but also crab, clams, shrimp, turtles, raptors, and other wildlife.
“Fish and wildlife resources belong to all Oregonians,” Shaw said, “and so poachers are taking these natural resources from all of us.”
By Joanna Rosińska
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