poaching – Syndication Server

Poacher faces potential judgment of over $13 million for senseless act

A 20-year-old man suspected of killing nearly 18,000 young salmon at an Oregon fish hatchery faces serious poaching and vandalism charges.

A 20-year-old man suspected of killing nearly 18,000 young salmon at an Oregon fish hatchery was charged with burglary, criminal trespass and criminal mischief, and will be charged with poaching as well.

The suspect faces a huge financial penalty and possibly a lifetime fishing ban.

The chinook salmon died after a gallon of bleach was poured into one of the four rearing tanks at the hatchery, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Joshua Heckathorn was arrested after sheriff’s deputies discovered him behind a locked gate at the Gardiner, Reedsport and Winchester Bay Salmon Trout Enhancement Program hatchery in Reedsport.

Heckathorn admitted to trespassing on the property, entering a storage location and handling the chemical bottle on Monday night.

“The killing of these fish is a real blow to the STEP Program Volunteers, ODFW, fishermen, and the community as a whole,” Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division Sergeant Levi Harris said. “In my 25 years as a game warden, this is one of the most senseless acts I have seen.”

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division are collaborating efforts to address vandalism on the property and the significant poaching incident.

From the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife:

Poaching charges will include Unlawful Taking Chinook Salmon for 17,890 fish, which raised the charge to a Class C felony. In addition, Heckathorn faces charges of Making a Toxic Substance Available to Wildlife, which is a Class A Misdemeanor; and Criminal Mischief 1st Degree (Damaging or destroying property of another in an amount exceeding $1,000). Additional penalties could include a lifetime angling license suspension and damage suits for unlawful killing of wildlife.

The maximum civil penalty in Oregon for illegal take of a single Chinook salmon is $750. Courts have the authority to multiply that amount by the number of fish taken, with a judgment in this case potentially raising the amount to over $13 million, according to Sergeant Harris. Although it is unlikely to elevate to that level, the case represents a significant loss to the STEP program…

The estimated 18,000 fish lost contribute to the lower Umpqua River fall Chinook fishery and would have joined approximately 60,000 other fall Chinook pre-smolts that will be fin clipped and released in June.

“You get attached to those fish,” said Deborah Yates, president of the STEP program. “When nature does something, it’s crushing. But it’s nature and it happens. But when someone comes in and does something like this, you can’t wrap your head around it. We have so many hours wrapped up in those fish, to have someone come in so cavalier, and kill them, it doesn’t make sense.”

Photo caption: Hatchery Manager Tim Hooper shovels the dead pre-smolts from the bottom of the rearing pond. The fish will be frozen for future evidence in the criminal case. Photo courtesy of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Men plead guilty to killing wild burros in California desert

The two men wore tactical gear and night-vision goggles when they set out with AR-style weapons and killed three burros.

Two men pleaded guilty Monday to federal criminal charges of shooting and killing three wild burros in California’s Mojave Desert.

Christopher James Arnet, 32, of Loveland, Colo., and Cameron John Feikema, 36, of Yorba Linda, Calif., each pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm and “maliciously” killing a burro on public lands.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, both men wore tactical gear, ballistic helmets and night-vision goggles when they set out with AR-style weapons on Nov. 5, 2021, near Yermo in San Bernardino County.

At about 1 a.m. on Nov. 6 they teamed to fire 13 rounds, killing three burros.

According to their plea agreements, one burro was paralyzed in its hind quarters with a spine shot by Arnet before it eventually died.

During the Bureau of Land Management investigation, the weapons used in the shootings were seized at Arnet’s and Feikema’s residences. The firearms, including a short-barreled rifle, were not registered.

The men forfeited the weapons, tactical gear, and 4,000 rounds of ammunition.

Both men face up to 11 years in federal prison. On Monday in Riverside, U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal scheduled their sentencing hearings for July 8.

‘Rare game species’ poached in Oregon; reward set at $4,500

Authorities say the poacher removed the head and horns from the bighorn sheep ram and left the carcass to waste.

A $4,500 reward is being offered in Oregon for information leading to the felony arrest of the poacher who killed a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep for its head and horns.

The carcass was discovered last Nov. 30 on BLM land near Hibbard Creek Road south of Baker City. An investigation has turned up few leads.

“It’s so hard to believe that someone would shoot and waste such an amazing animal,” Kevin Martin, president of the Oregon Wild Sheep Foundation, stated in an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife news release.

“The Lookout Mountain herd of bighorn sheep is an area ODFW, Wild Sheep Foundation, OR WSF and our partners have been focusing a lot of resources to understand what has caused the ongoing loss of animals and this criminal act just adds to that loss.”

Oregon is home to about 800 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and hunting is strictly regulated, with only about 100 tags issued each year.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife states on its website: “Bighorn sheep tags are ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ so you can only draw the tag once. If you are lucky enough to do so, scouting and being physically prepared for their rugged country are key.”

The poacher had no tag and left the carcass to waste.

Illegally killing a bighorn sheep in Oregon carries a penalty of up to $10,000 in fines, suspension of hunting license, and forfeiture of the weapon used to kill the sheep.

“In this case, additional charges of waste of a game mammal would likely apply,” the ODFW added.

The $4,500 reward was put up by multiple groups and announced Thursday.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oregon State Police Dispatch at 1-800-452-7888, *OSP (*677), or email at TIP@osp.oregon.gov.
Tipsters can choose to remain anonymous.

Wolf-poaching incident near Yellowstone under investigation

Authorities in Montana would not say how the wolf was killed or whether it might have belonged to one of Yellowstone National Park’s known packs.

Authorities in Montana are investigating a suspected wolf-poaching incident that occurred recently near Yellowstone National Park.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks stated Wednesday that the wolf was killed near Mol Heron and Cinnabar creeks northwest of Gardiner on Jan. 27.

Gardiner is just outside Yellowstone’s North Entrance.

FWP spokesman Morgan Jacobsen, citing an active investigation, did not provide details regarding how the wolf was killed or whether it had belonged to a pack that lives mostly inside the park.

“I can confirm that a wolf died likely as a result of a poaching incident a few miles north of Yellowstone National Park,” Jacobsen told FTW Outdoors. “And Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is conducting an investigation.”

The Yellowstone National Park Public Affairs Office also declined to provide details, citing the FWP investigation.

News From The States reports that the wolf was killed inside Montana’s Wolf Management Unit 313, where a hunting quota of six wolves was filled by Dec. 27.

All six wolves, as a Yellowstone National Park spokeswoman recently confirmed to FTW Outdoors, “belonged to packs that spend the majority of their lives inside Yellowstone National Park and have territories largely within the park.”

FWP is seeking help from the public as part of its investigation. Anyone with potentially helpful information is asked to visit myfwp.mt.gov/fwpPub/tipmont or call 1-800-TIP-MONT.

Informants could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

–Generic Yellowstone wolf image courtesy of the National Park Service

Feds offer $50,000 reward after 3 wolves are found dead in Oregon

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is hoping the large sum will help authorities catch those responsible for poaching three endangered wolves from the same pack.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is hoping that a $50,000 reward will help authorities catch and prosecute the person or persons responsible for killing three endangered wolves in Oregon.

An investigation was launched after Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife troopers found the carcasses of two collared research wolves and an un-collared wolf last Dec. 29 in Klamath County.

All three wolves – a breeding adult female (OR115) and two subadults – belonged to the Gearhart Mountain Pack.

Troopers responded after Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists received mortality signals from the two collars.

The ODFW stated Friday in a news release: “ODFW and OSP are assisting USFWS in the investigation of three Gearhart Mountain Pack wolves found dead in late December.

“ODFW is aware of seven wolves remaining in the Gearhart Mountain Pack including the breeding male. ODFW continues to monitor these wolves.”

Neither agency revealed how the wolves were killed but the case is reminiscent of a 2021 case – also involving a $50,000 reward – centered around the poisoning deaths of all five members of the Catherine wolf pack.

Gray wolves are federally endangered in the western two-thirds of Oregon.

Anyone with potentially helpful information is asked to call the USFWS at (503) 682-6131, or the Oregon State Police Dispatch at (800) 452-7888. Tipsters can also text *OSP (*677), or email TIP@osp.oregon.gov.

Callers can remain anonymous.

–Generic gray wolf image courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Boy, 11, helps Oregon troopers nab deer poacher

The boy was home sick from school when he witnessed the unlawful killing of a deer on private property.

An 11-year-old Oregon boy has been rewarded $1,000 for providing a tip that led to the arrest of a deer poacher.

The Oregon State Police explained in a news release that the boy, Gage, witnessed the unlawful killing and retrieval of a deer on private property.

Gage was home from school with an illness at the time. He reported the incident via the state’s Turn in Poachers (TIP) hotline.

The reward came from the Oregon Hunters Association and Gage told OSP troopers that he was considering using some of the money to purchase gaming goggles.

–Image courtesy of the Oregon State Police

Hunter who bagged potential record deer under investigation

Christopher J. Alexander, who gained notoriety after killing the buck during archery season, is facing poaching allegations.

An Ohio hunter who gained notoriety after killing a potential record white-tailed deer last month during archery season is at the center of a poaching investigation.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday confirmed that its Division of Wildlife is investigating allegations that Christopher J. Alexander, 28, of Wilmington, failed to obtain written permission from the owner of the private land on which the deer was harvested.

“While the investigation continues, Ohio wildlife officers have seized the antlers, cape, and hunting equipment associated with the alleged unlawful taking of the deer,” the DNR stated in a news release.

According to Outdoor Life, hunters on social-media forums had expressed suspicion that the deer might have been harvested illegally at night, since published photos showing Alexander posing with the buck were taken after dark.

Alexander’s explanation, according to Outdoor Life, was that the deer was harvested during legal hours but the photos were taken later, after a friend’s girlfriend arrived with a camera.

The DNR did not mention allegations of after-hours hunting.

The agency stated, simply, that the investigation was launched “after information was provided alleging that Alexander failed to obtain the lawfully required written permission prior to hunting on private property.”

Outdoor Life, citing an expert, reported that the buck warranted a “green score” of 206 7 / 8 inches.

“With that preliminary score,” the publication continued, “the buck would have the potential to be the number one typical whitetail taken in the state of Ohio, and the number three typical whitetail taken in North America.”

Alexander faces a significant fine, at the least, if he’s found guilty of illegally harvesting the buck.

–Generic white-tailed deer image courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Two men indicted for selling eagles in ‘killing spree’ of 3,600 birds

The alleged poachers face years in prison and fines up to $250,000 after being indicted by a federal grand jury in Montana.

Two men who allegedly killed approximately 3,600 birds, including bald eagles and golden eagles, face years in prison and fines up to $250,000 after being indicted by a federal grand jury in Montana.

Simon Paul and Travis John Branson are accused of poaching bald eagles and golden eagles on the Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere from January 2015 to March 2021 and then illegally selling them on the black market, according to the indictment posted online by the Daily Montanan.

“During the investigation, law enforcement uncovered messages from Branson and others describing the illegal taking of eagles by stating, ‘[O]ut [here] committing felonies,’ and telling buyers he was ‘on a killing spree’ to obtain eagle tail feathers for future sales,” the indictment states.

They were indicted on one count of conspiracy (penalty is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine), 13 counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles (penalty for first offense is one year in prison and a $5,000 fine, second and subsequent conviction is two years in prison and a $10,000 fine), and one count of violating the Lacey Act involving wildlife with a market value in excess of $350 (penalty is five years in prison and a $20,000 fine).

The Lacey Act combats trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, fish or plants.

The indictment details the sale of 13 bald eagle and golden eagle parts or entire birds with the dates each were poached.

“From January 2019 until March 2021, Simon Paul lived near Ronan on the Flathead Indian Reservation, and he was a ‘shooter’ and ‘shipper’ of bald and golden eagles for Travis John Branson,” the indictment reads. “When Branson arrived on the Flathead Indian Reservation, Paul would meet and help kill, transport, and ship bald and golden eagles for future sales on the black market.”

On March 13, 2021, Brandon and Paul used a “previously killed deer to lure in eagles,” and shot and killed a golden eagle that day.

“A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana said they could not comment further on the indictment and case,” the Daily Montanan reported. “Paul and Branson were issued summons to appear in court in Missoula on Jan. 8 for arraignments.”

The Daily Montanan reported that a man from Hardin, Montana, was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $70,000 in restitution for killing 14 juvenile eagles after he was indicted in May 2022. He was found guilty of three violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia Commons and the Missouri Dept. of Conservation.

Bears, wolf and bighorn sheep poached in same Oregon county

Authorities in Oregon are investigating recent poaching incidents involving black bear cubs, a gray wolf, and a bighorn sheep.

Each incident occurred in Baker County during the last week of November, and in each case the animals were killed unlawfully and left to waste.

It was not known if a single poacher was responsible.

The Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division stated in a news release that on Nov. 27 two bear cubs were found dead off USFS 77 Road inside the Keating Wildlife Management Unit.

Both animals had been shot.

On the same day, Fish & Wildlife troopers, acting on a tip, found a wolf carcass near Sparta Road, also within the Keating Wildlife Management Unit.

On Nov. 30, a trooper responded to the discovery of a bighorn sheep ram that had been shot and left – without its head and horns – near Hubbard Creek Road within the Lookout Mountain Wildlife Management Unit.

The Lookout Wildlife Management Unit is directly below the Keating Wildlife Management Unit.

The Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division is asking for the public’s help in identifying the person or persons responsible for the unlawful killings.

The agency’s tip lines are 800-452-7888 or *OSP (for mobile phone users). Rewards are being offered in each case.

Montana boosts reward in wolverine poaching case

Montana authorities are hoping that an increased reward will help them catch the person who killed one of the state’s rarest animals.

Montana authorities are hoping that an increased reward will lead to the identification of the person who killed a protected wolverine – one of the state’s rare animals.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks announced last week that the wolverine carcass was discovered Nov. 10 on a U.S. Forest Service Road northwest of Wisdom.

The animal had been shot, skinned, and left to waste.

On Monday the Center for Biodiversity announced that it had helped the state increase the reward “for information leading to a successful prosecution” from $1,000 to $11,000.

“The wolverine was shot dead and skinned along a closed U.S. Forest Service road on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest,” the Center for Biodiversity stated via social media. “Scientists estimate wolverine populations in the lower 48 may be fewer than 300 animals, making this death significant.”

The elusive mammals inhabit mostly remote, high-altitude terrain and encounters with humans are rare.