Tipster leads investigators to Oregon bull elk poachers

Investigation started November 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Three hunters pays $16,000 for poaching an elk, a criminal offense that Oregon Fish & Wildlife officers started investigating after getting a tip in November 2021.

Again then, the tipster noticed an image on social media of a 6×6 bull elk on a trailer, thought it didn’t appear proper and texted it to OSP Fish & Wildlife troopers.

One of many investigators, Senior Trooper Brent Ocheskey, additionally had questions. “An elk is a giant animal, not straightforward to pack out with out gutting and quartering it. That in itself was suspicious, particularly in our patrol space,” he mentioned in a press release.

After some analysis, investigators noticed the 6X6 bull elk head together with the disguise on the again of a truck on the residence of Lionardo Munoz.

Munoz had a spike elk tag, however not for a bull elk. He instructed investigators the elk belonged to his good friend, Matt Wilkinson. Wilkinson mentioned his spouse, Rachel Hallett, shot the bull elk within the Santiam unit.

Investigators mentioned additionally they discovered 3 extra deadheads from buck deer close to the house of Wilkinson and Hallett.

At a current listening to, the three hunters all pleaded responsible.

• Munoz, a Mosier resident, was fined $15,000 for the elk, had his searching license suspended for 3 years, forfeited the elk, searching licenses and tags, ordered to pay OSP $431.25 for cut-and-wrap prices and was placed on bench probation for 18 months.

• Wilkinson and Hallett additionally dwell in Mosier. He pleaded responsible to unlawfully taking a bull elk and buck deer. The 38-year-old was fined $1000 for the elk, forfeited wildlife, searching licenses and tags, had his searching license suspended for five years, was placed on bench probation for one yr and ordered to do 40 hours of group service.

• Hallett was placed on bench probation for a yr for illegally taking a buck deer. Her searching license was suspended for 3 years, forfeited wildlife, searching licenses and tags and ordered to do 40 hours of group service.

Bernadette Graham-Hudson, ODFW Wildlife Administrator, is inspired by the result of the case.

“Oregon hunters, legislators and different conservationists labored exhausting to cross strict sentencing pointers to deal with poaching circumstances like this one,” mentioned ODFW Wildlife Administrator Bernadette Graham-Hudson. “Hopefully fines like it will function a warning to others who would behave so irresponsibly.”