Blow darts to kill deer? Oregon poaching case takes ‘cruel turn’

Authorities in Oregon are hopeful that a $1,000 reward will help lead to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for killing and injuring mule deer with blow darts.

Authorities in Oregon are hopeful that a $1,000 reward will help lead to an arrest for the killing and injuring of mule deer with blow darts.

At least two deer have died and three others were injured after being struck with blow darts during the past four months in Burns County.

Hunting large animals with blow darts is illegal in part because darts kill slowly over time, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife explained Tuesday in a news release.

“Either the wound will lead to an infection, or if the stomach or intestines are punctured, the deer will die, but it will take a while, and it will be painful,” said ODFW biologist Rod Klus.“It takes a deer anywhere from days to weeks to die from infection.”

Deer shot with blow dart. Credit: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

On Feb. 13, acting on a tip, Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Troopers discovered a doe “in failing health” with a dart in her side. She was subsequently euthanized.

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On Nov. 6, 2020, Troopers found a fawn carcass in the same area with a dart in its neck.

From November through February three other mule deer were discovered carrying darts in their bodies. They were sedated and released after the darts had been surgically removed.

The Oregon Hunters Assn. this week offered the $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest or citation.

Said the group’s chairman, Fred Walasavage: “It is no secret that mule deer populations continue to be on a decline in Oregon. Granted, there are many factors such as habitat loss, road kills, and predation. But when it comes to intentionally poaching wildlife, that’s where OHA members draw the line.”

Added Yvonne Shaw of the ODFW’s Stop Poaching Campaign: “Poaching steals natural resources from all Oregonians. In this case, poaching takes a cruel turn. Thankfully, residents in Burns are quick to alert OSP Troopers by calling the TIP Line. Let’s hope they find whoever is doing this.”

Klus expressed concern that more mule deer will turn up with darts in their bodies unless the investigation takes a positive turn. The ODFW TIP Line text and phone numbers are *OSP (677) and 800-452-7888. Email: TIP@osp.oregon.gov.

–Top and bottom images are generic

Watch: Bear joins startled hunters in tree stand

Video footage has surfaced showing a large bear cub joining two startled bow hunters in their tree stand.

The footage, posted below, also shows the hunters trying to remain calm out of fear of startling the bear, which at times was only inches away.

Wes Marchak told For The Win Outdoors that he and his brother were hunting bears from the stand last May in the Canadian province of Manitoba when another cub chased its sibling up the tree.

The footage, uploaded to YouTube by Viral Hog on Monday, shows Marchak giggling as the cub was just opposite his brother farther up the tree. “It was my brother’s first time hunting,” Marchak said, declining to provide his brother’s name.

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The young bear, once it realized it was not alone, quickly returned to the forest floor.

Marchak explained that momma bear had long since left the cubs, which were about 4 years old, to fend for themselves. The hunters did not harm the cubs.

Marchak, however, said he had been hunting “a certain bear with great size and lots of meat to fill my freezer,” and harvested that bruin a few days later.

–Image courtesy of Wes Marchak

Hunters boost reward in ‘thrill-kill’ elk poaching case

Oregon hunting groups have increased the reward to $3,000 for information leading to an arrest related to the recent poaching of three elk near the town of Sisters.

Oregon hunters have increased the reward to $3,000 for information leading to an arrest related to the recent poaching of three elk near the town of Sisters.

In late October, poachers killed a bull elk, spike elk, and cow elk, all of which were mostly left to waste.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, in a news release issued Wednesday, said two of the elk were entirely left to waste “in a blatant demonstration of thrill-kill.”

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The bull elk had its head and shoulders removed, likely for a trophy mount.

All three elk were believed to have been killed in the same general area at the same time “on or about Oct. 28.”

This week the reward grew to $3,000 after new donations totaling $2,500 were made by four chapters of the Oregon Hunters Assn.

The elk were discovered after Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Troopers received a tip by a hunter who discovered the cow carcass on Oct. 30. The hunter had been scouting the Dry Canyon area.

Troopers also discovered the bull elk carcass, minus the antlered head and shoulders. Two days later Troopers found the spike elk carcass – a young male with an unbranched antler – after receiving a tip on the state’s Turn in Poachers (TIP) Line.

Although elk-hunting season was open at the time, leaving animals to waste is a crime in Oregon.

OSP Troopers are seeking public input in their attempt to solve the case. The elk were poached near Highway 126 and Quail Tree Drive.

–Elk image is generic

Probe launched after hunters kill protected grizzly bears

A federal investigation has been launched after two grizzly bears were killed by black bear hunters last week near Great Falls, Montana.

Grizzly bears are federally protected and the investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Neither agency is offering specific details, pending results of the investigation.

However, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) issued a news release stating that the hunters killed one male and one female grizzly bear during the black bear season. No cubs were found.

Montana’s spring black bear hunting season ended May 31 in some regions, but continues through June 15 in other regions.

It remains unclear whether the hunters thought they were shooting at black bears, but “correct identification is critical,” FWP stated.

In Montana, hunters must pass a test to make sure they can tell the difference between the two species before they are issued hunting tags. The test consists of 15 multiple-choice questions and hunters must answer at least 12 correctly to receive a certificate of completion.

FWP noted that color and size are not clear indications. Black bears are sometimes lighter in color, and grizzly bears can look black. Grizzly bears are sometimes smaller than adult black bears.

“Grizzly bears are expanding into more places in Montana, and we are also heading outdoors in higher numbers right now, which means it is more important than ever to review bear safety and identification tips,” FWP cautioned.

–Grizzly bear images (top two) are via Wikipedia; black bear image is courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Coming Soon: What movie trailers from SBLIV picked up the most views so far?

Lights. Camera. (Commercial break.) Action! A few trailers were released on Super Bowl Sunday, as studios tempted movie-lovers with the next chapter of blockbuster franchises while also making room for streaming services and what’s ahead on those …

Lights. Camera. (Commercial break.) Action!

A few trailers were released on Super Bowl Sunday, as studios tempted movie-lovers with the next chapter of blockbuster franchises while also making room for streaming services and what’s ahead on those popular platforms.
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But what trailer gained the most momentum?

According to AdBlitz, a YouTube exclusive, here are the top 3 that have really extended beyond the 15 minutes of fame:

3. Marvel Studios: “Big Game”

Marvel Studios took to the Big Game stage and unveiled a lineup of new releases—The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki—that are coming soon to Disney+. The current view total is third-highest among all trailers on AdBlitz

2. Amazon Prime Video: “Hunters”

It’s another All-American barbecue—until it’s not. Amazon Prime Video released a spot for “Hunters” during the Super Bowl, and the thrilling minute-plus trailer that shows a very eerie Al Pacino has made its way to the second-highest view count. How many have watched so far? Check out the answer here.

1. Universal Studios: “F9”

The Fast Saga continues, and people are clearly excited. The extended version of the Super Bowl trailer for F9 has been released, and it’s tops in that category on AdBlitz.

And the views? It does the franchise proud, so we gave it a title:

Fast & Furious 10: The Views on F9!

Hunter sprays deer repellent in brother’s hunting spot, is cited

An unusual dispute came to light when an officer got a complaint about hunter harassment only to find it was one brother reporting another.

A family feud between two hunters in Michigan culminated in a man admitting to a conservation officer that he sprayed deer repellent on his brother’s hunting stands.

The unusual dispute came to light when Department of Natural Resources conservation officer Mike Wells received a complaint about hunter harassment in Newaygo County only to discover it was one brother reporting the other, according to MLive.com.

The complainant has two hunting stands that sit on U.S. Forest Service property, which is located next to a private camp that was willed to both brothers by their father. The other brother hunts from a blind on the private property.

The complainant told Wells he was “extremely frustrated” by his brother’s continued harassment while on the private property. He proceeded to give Wells two SD Cards from trail cameras that showed a subject wearing a yellow backpack sprayer spraying the two hunting stands on Forest Service land.

Wells accompanied the complainant to the stands and collected evidence samples of the unknown liquid.

Then, on the morning of the firearm season, Wells approached the suspected brother as he hunted from the blind on private property and discovered he was illegally hunting over bait.

Wells confronted the suspect and showed him a photo from the trail camera, at which point he confessed to spraying both stands because his brother was intentionally cutting off the deer by hunting the public land next to the private camp.

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He also admitted that the spray was “liquid fence,” designed to deter deer from entering the area and that he did it to scare deer away. He apologized and told Wells his emotions got the best of him.

Wells submitted a warrant request for hunter harassment and baiting deer when prohibited.

According to Michigan law, unlawful baiting deer is a misdemeanor offense that carries a penalty of a maximum of 90 days in jail, a fine between $50 and $500, court costs and state fees, and loss of hunting privileges at the court’s discretion.

Hunter harassment is also a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to 93 days and/or a fine of between $500 and $1,000 plus court costs.

“I suppose this means the gift exchange is cancelled for them this Christmas,” one commenter on MLive.com quipped.

Photo of a deer courtesy of USFWS. Photo of a typical deer stand in Michigan courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

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