A deer near Hagg Lake on August 3, 2020. File photo: Chas Hundley
The Oregon State Police are seeking information in a case involving a poached antlerless deer left in front of a gate on Stimson Lumber property north of Mountaindale in Washington County.
A graphic photo of the deer in question is at the bottom of this story.
According to a press release from OSP, an OSP Fish and Wildlife Trooper was notified on Jan. 22 that a carcass had been dumped in front of a gate on Stimson land near Smoke Ranch Road and Pumpkin Ridge Road north of the Mountaindale community.
The carcass — wrapped in a green tarp — had all four legs removed and the backstrap cut off, OSP said.
“There was a significant amount of meat left to waste on the animal,” the press release noted.
The hunting unit the deer was found in does not have a season for such antlerless deer as the one found at the gate.
OSP is asking anyone with information relating to the case to contact the Turn In Poachers (TIP) line and leave information for Trooper Ben Turner. Those wishing to remain anonymous may do so.
TIP Hotline: 1-800-452-7888 or *OSP(677); TIP email: TI[email protected] (monitored Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
How to Report a Wildlife and/or Habitat Law Violation or Suspicious Activity:
In addition to cash rewards from the Oregon Hunters Association TIP reward fund, the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife announced on October 1, 2018 that people who provide information on the unlawful take or possession or waste of big game (deer, elk, moose, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, antelope, bear, cougar, or wolf) that leads to a conviction or citation are eligible for big game preference points, used in lottery draws for controlled big game hunts in Oregon.
This program resulted from the passage of HB 3158 by the Oregon State Legislature in 2017.
For more information, read the full program details at www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2018/10_october/100118.asp.
Preference Point Rewards:
* 5 Points-Bighorn 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
CASH REWARDS:
* $1,000 Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Goat and Moose
* $500 Elk, Deer and Antelope
* $300 Bear, Cougar and Wolf
* $300 Habitat Destruction
* $200 Illegally Obtaining License/Tag(s)
* $200 Unlawful Lend/Borrow Big Game Tags(s)
* $100 Upland Birds and Waterfowl
* $100 Furbearers
* $100 Game Fish and Shellfish
Photo from the scene courtesy Oregon State Police
This article has been updated with a location supplied by OSP Trooper Ben Turner.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.