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MONTHLY FIELD REVIEW

DECEMBER 2019

OREGON STATE POLICEFISH & WILDLIFE DIVISION

CONTENTCommunity Outreach ............................................................................................... 3General Law & Rescues ......................................................................................... 4-5Administration and Enforcement of Wildlife Laws ................................................ 6-7Shellfish and Angling ................................................................................................ 8Case Disposition ....................................................................................................... 9Turn in Poachers ..................................................................................................... 10F&W Recruitment ................................................................................................... 11

On the cover: A Fish and Wildlife Trooper patrolling snowy roads.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

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Future Duck Hunters Meet Troopers

Fish & Wildlife Troopers from The Dalles checked on two young kids on a sand bar on the Columbia River who were with their dad experiencing the great outdoors on his duck hunt. The kids were all bundled up for the cold weather and enjoying the crisp fresh air. They were so excited to see the Troopers, they asked to take a picture with them. They were also very proud of their dad’s duck, so we took a picture of that too.

Festival of Trees - Oakridge

The Oakridge High School leadership class hosted a holiday festival of trees event at the Oakridge Elementary School. Local Oakridge businesses and agencies sponsored trees that were decorated then donated to local Oakridge area families for the holidays. The OSP Oakridge worksite sponsored a tree which was decorated by a Fish & Wildlife Trooper’s daughter who is an Oakridge High School senior and member of the high school leadership class.

Troopers Assist with Snake River Boat Operator Course Fish & Wildlife Troopers from La Grande and Enterprise assisted in a three-day Oregon Marine Board boat operator’s course on the Snake River. The Marine Board had United States Forest Service (USFS), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Idaho Marine Board, Wallowa County, Baker County, and Clackamas County participate in the training. During the training Troopers split up and were utilized as guides/trainers for the other agencies.

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GENERAL LAW & RESCUES

Deer Released from Fence

A John Day Fish & Wildlife Trooper responded to a call of a deer that was stuck in a fence. The deer had attempted to jump through a section of iron fencing and had become lodged at the hips, with its hind feet off the ground. With the assistance of a BLM Law Enforcement Officer the deer was lifted and pushed through the fence. The deer bounded away seemingly unharmed.

DUII Crash - Coos County A Fish & Wildlife Trooper responded to a single-vehicle, non-injury crash east of Myrtle Point, where the vehicle crashed into the eastbound ditch. The driver showed signs of impairment and consented to field sobriety tests. The tests indicated the subject was impaired and a breath test indicated a BAC of 0.22%. The subject was arrested for DUII – Alcohol and criminally cited and released at the Coos County jail.

GPS Leads Driver to Treacherous Roads A Fish & Wildlife Trooper was working winter range patrol near Thompson Reservoir on an unmaintained snowy road when a small SUV drove by. The vehicle was stopped for a violation and the occupants were found to be following their GPS to get to Bly, Oregon. The road ahead was 4-wheel drive only and they would not have made it. As it was, the front wheel drive only vehicle had been spinning its tires just to get over the snow in the middle of the roadway. The driver was cited for DWS-Violation and Driving Uninsured. The Trooper followed them back out to Hwy 31 and assisted them through the snow covered roadways.

Injured Pelican Rescued - Young’s Bay An Astoria Fish & Wildlife Trooper and an ODFW employee used a skiff to rescue an injured pelican in Young’s Bay. The bird was recovered with a net and delivered to a North Coast Wildlife Rehabilitation volunteer who transported it to their facility for rehabilitation.

Firearm Violations in Bald Peak State Park

A Fish & Wildlife Trooper responded to a report of subjects shooting a firearm within Bald Peak State Park. The Trooper arrived and observed three individuals at the west end of the park near the restrooms along with the small black SUV described by the witness. The Trooper then heard a gunshot and watched the subjects walk toward a tree they had been shooting towards. The Trooper contacted the subjects who admitted they all had been shooting. One of the subjects said he knew he was in a state park but didn’t know shooting was not allowed. The weapon was secured and all three subjects were issued violation citations for Discharging a Firearm in a State Park and warned for damaging state property.

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GENERAL LAW & RESCUES

Owner Cited After Dog Kills DeerA Fish & Wildlife Trooper issued a citation to the subject whose dog mauled and killed a young deer around Thanksgiving and the incident was captured on a school’s outdoor security camera. The owner of the dogs was captured on the video retrieving the dogs while the dogs were attacking the deer. With the aid of a press release the subjects immediately called to turn themselves in after the press release was sent. The subject was very remorseful and apologetic and realized she should have called authorities right after this happened.

Trooper Assists on Snowmobile Accident

A Central Point Fish & Wildlife Trooper was dispatched to a snowmobile accident in the Crater Lake area where the operator had suffered a severe laceration to the leg. The injured patient was eventually shuttled by other riders to where the Trooper and the ambulance awaited. The Trooper assisted on scene until the patient was transferred to the ambulance for transport. The patient’s injuries were not life threatening.

Alligator Seized - Grants Pass Fish & Wildlife Troopers, with the assistance of ODFW, seized an alligator at a Grants Pass residence. The owner had acquired the alligator about seven years ago and did not know he needed a permit to possess it. There are currently only two permit holders in the state able to possess alligators. The subject was subsequently warned for the unlawful possession.

Offensive Littering Case - Lincoln County

Newport Fish & Wildlife Troopers worked on an Offensive Littering case in which a large garbage dump was discovered on Lindsey Ridge in Lincoln County. A Sergeant went to Lindsey Ridge and discovered that the dump site had been mostly cleaned up, with only a few scattered items remaining. During the investigation, a suspect was developed and located. He admitted to leaving the garbage at the location on Lindsey Ridge and stated that he and his mother cleaned it up when he was told that the Oregon State Police were looking for him. The suspect was cited for Offensive Littering.

ADMINISTRATION & ENFORCEMENT OF WILDLIFE LAWS

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Bald Eagle Killed by Power Line, Wing Taken Fish & Wildlife Troopers from the Springfield area command office were notified of a bald eagle that had been killed in Eugene by a power line. The local power company removed the eagle and waited for a Trooper to arrive. Moments before the Trooper’s arrival, a male subject quickly cut a wing off of the eagle and ran back to his vehicle. As the male drove off a bystander took a picture of the subject’s license plate. Troopers located the residence of the vehicle’s registered owner and waited for the subject to return home. Unable to locate the subject, the Troopers left and planned to return the next morning. Troopers arrived at the suspects address the next morning and located the male who had taken the eagle wing. While interviewing the suspect, the Troopers learned he had hidden the wing at another residence. The Troopers followed the suspect to the second residence where they were able to recover the eagle wing. The suspect was cited for the Unlawful Possession of Eagle Wing and released.

Unlawful Take of Doe Deer - Linn CountyA Fish & Wildlife Trooper received a tip regarding a male subject who shot and killed a doe deer at night with a rifle. Troopers contacted the male subject at his residence. The subject first claimed he hit the deer with his vehicle and he had not completed the required paperwork for the road struck deer. Subsequent to an interview, the subject admitted to shooting the doe in his headlights the previous night. The deer meat and rifle were seized as evidence. The subject was criminally cited for Unlawful Take/Possession of Antlerless Deer, Hunting Prohibited Hours, and No Big Game Tag.

Juvenile Mistakenly Kills Bull ElkA Fish & Wildlife Trooper received a call from a Christmas Valley farmer who had spoken with a father and juvenile son that had taken a five point bull elk during an antlerless elk only hunt. The father and son were reluctant to contact the State Police fearing the boy would be arrested. An investigation revealed that the boy had initially shot through a cow elk and struck the bull elk in heavy fog, which fell and died at the scene. The bull was salvaged. The Trooper then tracked the wounded cow elk for two miles into an area where the juvenile was able to harvest the animal. The father and son were counseled on hunting ethics and warned for Unlawful Take.

Multi-Agency Waterfowl Saturation - Snake RiverA Fish & Wildlife Sergeant participated in a waterfowl saturation on the Snake River. The saturation involved multiple agencies to include: Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Canyon County Sheriff ’s Department (Idaho), Owyhee County Sheriff ’s Department (Idaho), Oregon State Police (Baker City), and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Burns, OR). In total 16 officers from the various agencies participated. The saturation resulted in over 200 contacts with hunters and boaters, and included multiple citations and warnings for Unplugged Shotguns, Unlawful Take, as well as angling and Marine Board violations.

Group Cited in Hunting While Trespassing Case

McMinnville Fish & Wildlife Troopers issued citations to four subjects for Hunting in Violation of Criminal Trespass. The family group used a side-by-side ATV extensively on private timberlands to recover multiple animals. One of the Troopers used trail cameras to document the family passing several signs clearly posted by the timber companies marking them as non-motorized access only. OSP has received many complaints of vehicle use in this particular area in recent years and the group knew other individuals who were previously cited by this Trooper for the same offense.

ADMINISTRATION & ENFORCEMENT OF WILDLIFE LAWS

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Trail Camera Captures Spike Poaching Suspects

A Fish & Wildlife Trooper used a trail camera to obtain a picture of a deer in the back of a pickup truck which was operating on non-motorized private timberlands. The Trooper and a Yamhill County Deputy contacted the registered owner of the pickup. The owner admitted that he and a friend had been hunting the area all season, but denied that either of them had killed anything. After being confronted with the photo, the pickup owner admitted his passenger had killed a spike deer which they both knew was unlawful. The driver of the pickup was cited for Aiding in a Wildlife Offense and six packages of deer meat were seized. The passenger was contacted immediately afterwards and admitted to shooting the spike deer. He was cited for Unlawful Take/Possession of Spike Deer. A rifle and nine packages of deer meat were seized from this subject.

Raptor Parts Located in Bend Residence

Fish & Wildlife Troopers responded to a residence in Bend following a report from Bend Police Department of multiple raptor parts located inside the residence. A consent search of the residence revealed multiple wings, talons, and tails of raptors, as well as wings of game birds. One resident was cited and released for Unlawful Possession of Prohibited Species and one resident was warned for Unlawful Possession of Game Bird.

Subject Self-Reports Unlawful Take of Calf Elk A Fish & Wildlife Trooper received a self-reported Unlawful Take of Cow/Calf Elk during the Tioga muzzleloader elk hunt. The mistake resulted from a miscommunication of “the first one” in the line of elk. The shooter shot the second one thinking it was the first which was a spike. The calf elk was processed and released to charity in time for Christmas food baskets. The subject punched her tag prior to contact and received a warning for Unlawful Take of Cow/Calf Elk.

Bear Unlawfully Taken/Wasted - Coos CountyA Fish & Wildlife Trooper investigated a report of the unlawful take and waste of a black bear outside of North Bend. The property owner located a bear carcass and questioned the suspect, who was renting the property, and the suspect admitted to shooting the bear and letting it go to waste. The investigation revealed that the suspect shot the bear, and then realized he did not have a bear tag, just a tag voucher. After realizing he did not have a tag, the suspect attempted to salvage the meat, but did not contact OSP or ODFW regarding the tag issue. The suspect then left the property for a family emergency and was unable to return before the meat spoiled. The suspect was criminally cited and released for Take/Possession Black Bear, Fail to Check in Bear with ODFW, and No Big Game Tag, and was warned for Waste of a Game Mammal.

Deer Carcasses Used as Sight Bait for Traps A St. Helens Fish & Wildlife Trooper obtained a photo of a bait station with two deer carcasses as bait. He confirmed with a trail camera that a subject was working a trap line in the area. Troopers conducted surveillance of the area and watched as the suspect checked the bait and traps. Contact was made and subsequent to an interview, the suspect was criminally cited for Use of Game Mammal/Birds for Trap Bait, Use of Sight Bait for Carnivores Within 15 Feet of a Trap, and Unlawful Possession of Deer. The Troopers obtained the location of five more locations where the suspect was using unbranded traps with deer and ducks as sight bait directly above or near the traps. A consent search of his property, garage, and shop was also conducted. Two more deer hindquarters and other evidence was located. In addition to his criminal citations, the suspect was also warned for multiple offenses. Six traps, a game camera, deer parts, a duck, and a large buck deer skull were seized.

SHELLFISH & ANGLING

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Subject Cited for Angling Offenses

A Fish & Wildlife Trooper contacted a subject as he finished angling for Steelhead on the East Fork Millicoma River. The subject turned out to be a suspect from a recently received tip regarding the potential take of salmon at a local fishing hole open to youth and disabled anglers only. The subject was able to provide a video of his daughter reeling in the salmon, but admitted she did not have a youth tag and advised he had planned to tag the fish on his tag, but never actually did. The subject was cited for Aiding/Counseling in a Wildlife Offense and warned for Lend/Borrow Angling Tag and Fail to Immediately Validate Salmon Tag.

Razor Clams Seized During Closure PatrolAn Astoria Fish & Wildlife Trooper conducted two razor clam patrols after the clam closure took effect on the Oregon Coast for elevated levels of Domoic Acid. Multiple clam diggers were contacted and warned for: Dig Clams Closed Area. One subject was contacted during an evening low tide and was found to be in possession of 22 razor clams. The subject was cited and 22 razor clams were seized.

Angling Complaint - Fall Creek Dam

A Fish & Wildlife Trooper received an angling complaint of subjects catching and releasing trout which were dead below Fall Creek Dam. At Fall Creek Dam the Trooper observed two anglers catching and releasing trout. All the trout the trooper watched them release seemed to be unharmed. The trooper contacted them and issued one citation for Angling with Bait when Prohibited. The Trooper continued checking anglers below the dam and issued two more citations for Angling with Bait when Prohibited.

Angling Closed Season Violation - Smith River A Fish & Wildlife Trooper checked a lone subject at the Noel Ranch Boating Site, on the Smith River. The subject advised he was told by others that the waterway was closed to salmon angling, but they were not in a position of authority, so he did not heed their warning. He had previously been caught by ODFW fishing up river in a closed area earlier in the season. His rod was seized and he was cited for Angling Closed Season.

Multi-Agency Fishing Vessel Inspections

Astoria and St. Helens Fish & Wildlife Troopers partnered with ODFW and the U.S. Coast Guard to complete hold inspections for the start of Oregon’s commercial crab fishery. During an inspection, a Trooper noticed a fish ticket book in the wheelhouse of a vessel. Upon investigation, it was determined the captain was also a limited fish seller and had made at least two landings of tuna back in August using his limited fish seller permit. The fish tickets were partially completed and by the captain’s admission, had not been submitted to ODFW. The captain was cited for Failure to Complete Fish Receiving Tickets.

CASE DISPOSITION

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Guide Pleads Guilty on Unlawful Transfer Case In the fall of 2018, the Oregon State Police Special Investigations Unit (SIU) investigated a guide reported of violating several laws related to the Guide Outfitter Tag (GOT) program through ODFW. This program allows guides to apply for limited, well sought after tags to guide out-of-state clients in Oregon. These clients must be guided and accompanied by the guide/outfitter who drew the tags. Investigation showed the guide would apply for these limited entry tags then sell the tags to other outfitters for profit. The guide was charged with five counts of Unlawful Transfer of Guide/Outfitter Big Game Tags. The guide pleaded guilty to two counts of Violation of Wildlife Law (A Misdemeanor) and received:

• 40 hours community service• 18 months bench probation• Restitution to victims including on counts dismissed• Hunting, angling, and trapping license suspension for

2 years

Harney County Party Hunting Case Burns Fish & Wildlife Troopers received the final court judgments regarding a hunting party that shot multiple elk, wounding them and killing a cow elk unlawfully.

In late 2018, Burns Troopers received a report of a UTV and a pickup with multiple subjects chasing after elk and shooting multiple times from various locations at the elk. The Troopers contacted the group and found that there was only one person who had a valid elk tag. This person harvested an elk and used a cougar tag on the elk. Further investigation revealed that multiple elk were shot by the group. At the conclusion of the investigation, the Troopers issued eight criminal citations in lieu of custody for various wildlife crimes, and took one male subject into custody. Four hunting rifles were seized as evidence. The second cow elk that was unlawfully taken was salvaged by the Troopers. Two other elk that were wounded could not be found.

The suspects involved all pleaded guilty in Harney County Circuit Court. All but one suspect received hunting license suspensions and one rifle was forfeited. The suspects paid assessed court fines and restitution totaling over $7,000.

Subject Convicted for Using Rifle with an Archery Tag

A Fish & Wildlife Trooper from the Burns office received the final court judgment regarding a male subject that shot a bull elk with a rifle and tagged it with an archery elk tag. The subject pleaded guilty and was convicted of Unlawful Take/Possession of a Bull Elk. The court ordered the subject to pay the following:

• $2,230 to ODFW for restitution of the elk• $270 to OSP for cut and wrap fees• $100 bench probation fee to the court

The subject had his hunting license suspended for three years and was put on probation for one year. The subject was also ordered to complete sixteen hours of community service.

Bullet fragment

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TURN IN POACHERS5 Points-Bighorn Sheep5 Points-Rocky Mountain Goat5 Points-Moose5 Points-Wolf4 Points-Elk4 Points-Deer4 Points-Antelope4 Points-Bear4 Points-Cougar

$1,000 Bighorn Sheep $1,000 Rocky Mountain Goat$1,000 Moose$500 Elk, Deer & Antelope $300 Bear, Cougar & Wolf $300 Habitat Destruction $200 Illegally Obtaining License/Tags$200 Unlawful Lend/Borrow Big Game Tag(s)$100 Game Fish & Shellfish$100 Upland Birds, Waterfowl & Fur Bearers

PREFERENCE POINTS CASH REWARDS-OR-

The TIP program offers preference point rewards or cash rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of big game mammals.

WHAT SHOULD I REPORT?- Nature of violation or activity observed or advised about- Location of activity (Road, Milepost, GPS, etc.)- Date and time of violation/activity- Description of any vehicle involved- Name and/or description of violator

Click here to access the TIP form

Oregon State Police work hand-in-hand with the Oregon Hunters Association and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to ensure the preservation of wildlife resources.

1-800-452-7888 or *OSP(677) TIP@state.or.us

FISH & WILDLIFE DIVISION

OREGON STATE POLICEInterested in becoming an Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Trooper?

For information, please visit our website at: www.osptrooper.com

Questions? Please call 503-378-4474 or email osp.trooper@state.or.us

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