Poaching of wildlife is a serious crime in Oregon and around the country. This summer, a 28-year-old poacher from Pendleton pleaded guilty to 22 charges including killing several deer and elk, leaving animals to waste and trespassing. He was sentenced to pay $75,000 in fines, forfeit weapons and meat, and spend the next three, two-week-long elk seasons in jail.
"Elk season is now jail season," said Jay Hall, an Oregon Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General and Wildlife Anti-Poaching Resources Prosecutor who prosecuted the case on behalf of the Umatilla County District Attorney's office.
The illegal taking or wasting of animals impacts hunters, anglers, wildlife viewers, photographers and the public. Protect Oregon's Wildlife has launched a new campaign this year targeting this issue.
"The goal of Protect Oregon's Wildlife is to enlist the help of citizens to report poaching of animals, birds and wildlife and the illegal taking of fish and marine mammals," said Yvonne Shaw, Protect Oregon's Wildlife – Turn in Poachers campaign coordinator. "With this mission in mind, we aim to educate individuals to identify signs of poaching and report while they are enjoying Oregon's wildlife. We will do that through a combination of news releases to inform on poaching cases; community presentations; awareness events and more."
During the 2019 legislative session, legislators passed bipartisan legislation to increase penalties for poaching; create an education and awareness campaign; fund four additional troopers and one additional Sergeant with OSP F&W Division; and support a special prosecutor to work with jurisdictions across the state. "COVID lockdowns stopped the campaign process, but the other factors of the campaign have already been implemented," said Shaw. The organization created a new website with updated information and news releases with materials for organizations and individuals to share information about poaching in Oregon.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State Patrol Fish & Wildlife and the DOJ work in harmony to solve and prosecute poaching crimes. Each organization has a unique mission associated with the protection of wildlife in the state and includes a three-pronged approach relying on increased reporting, enforcement and prosecution. Other important partners include the Oregon Hunter's Association, Oregon State Marine Board, Oregon Wildlife Coalition, Oregon Outdoor Guides Association and the Oregon Wildlife Foundation, which supports K-9 officers.
"OHA is a great partner. They started the TIP reward fund with Oregon State Police and it has grown exponentially," said Shaw. "Now, a TIP on a deer or elk that results in an arrest or citation can give the reporting party $1,000 or four hunter preference points." OHA and OSP have collaborated on the TIP program since 1986, and with the new campaign, corporate sponsors are encouraged to join and show their support, as well. In a recent five-year span, the TIP program has paid out more than $100,000.
"Hunters take poaching personally," said Tyler Dungannon, OHA's conservation coordinator. "Hunters, by definition, are conservationists, whereas poachers are thieves that steal valuable resources. Hunters harvest animals within the confines of scientifically sound wildlife management, but poachers illegally cut in line, and as you can imagine, hunters despise their actions." Besides the illegal taking of wildlife, poaching includes habitat destruction.
Dungannon also stressed that people educate themselves on the differences between legal hunting and poaching. "Hunting regulations can be complex, but knowing when seasons for specific animals are open and when they are closed in a given area can improve one's ability to spot poaching activity," said Dungannon.
The Turn-In-Poachers program relies upon citizen involvement to deter poaching of wildlife in Oregon. The anonymous TIPs may result in cash rewards or ODFW preference points for hunting permits. Tips can be called into the TIP Hotline (1-800-452-7888) or OSP (*677) from a mobile phone, emailed or sent through the website's form. Information to report includes: description of the suspected activity; date, time and location; vehicle and person description; names (if known); and the type of wildlife. Do not accost the poachers but submit the information in a timely fashion.
"If hunters are not acting legally, they are not hunters – they are poachers," said Dungannon. Plain and simple.
