The carcass of a Rocky Mountain bull elk was reported Oct. 4, 2023, to Oregon State Police troopers near Highway 74 approximately 4 miles west of Highway 395 in Umatilla County.

PENDLETON — Poachers wasted three elk in Umatilla and Morrow counties, and the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is asking the public for help in tracking down the culprits responsible.

According to OSP, poachers slayed two Rocky Mountain elk in Morrow County and one in Umatilla County.

Troopers on Nov. 27, responded to a call of two Rocky Mountain elk that had been left partially to waste in a dry creek bed near Lexington. State police said the poaching may have taken place in the past week.

Troopers on Oct. 4 responded to a call of a Rocky Mountain bull elk that had been shot and left to waste near Highway 74 approximately 4 miles west of Highway 395 in Umatilla County. State police determined the bull was killed approximately 100 yards from the highway with a single gunshot wound to the head, then left to waste.

OSP urged anyone with information to contact the Oregon State Police Dispatch at 800-452-7888, *677, or email at TIP@osp.oregon.gov. The Morrow County case number is SP23376327 and the Umatilla County case number is SP23318278.

Reporting law violators

The Turn In Poachers program is a collaboration of the Oregon State Police, Oregon Hunters Association, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Wildlife Coalition, Oregon Outfitters and Guides Association and Oregon State Marine Board.

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

• 5 points: bighorn sheep

• 5 points: rocky mountain goat

• 5 points: moose

• 5 points: wolf

• 4 points: elk

• 4 points: deer

• 4 points: pronghorn antelope

• 4 points: bear

• 4 points: cougar

The TIP program also offers cash rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of certain fish and wildlife species. Cash rewards can also be awarded for habitat destruction, illegally obtaining hunting or angling license or tag, lending or borrowing big game tags, spotlighting, or snagging.

The Oregon Hunters Association cash rewards are:

• $2,000 bighorn sheep, mountain goat, or moose

• $1,000 elk, deer, or antelope

• $600 bear, cougar, or wolf

• $300 habitat destruction

• $200 illegally obtaining oregon hunting or angling license or tags

• $200 unlawful lending/borrowing big game tag(s)

• $200 game fish and shellfish

• $200 game birds or furbearers

• $200 spotlighting

• $200 snagging/attempt to snag

Oregon Wildlife Coalition cash rewards are:

• $500 hawk, falcon, eagle, owl, osprey.

• $500 cougar, bobcat, beaver (public lands only), black bears, bighorn sheep, marten, fisher, Sierra Nevada red fox.

• $1,000 species listed as threatened or endangered under state or federal endangered species act (excludes fish).

In addition, the Oregon Outfitters and Guides Association offers a $200 cash reward for submitting information that leads to consequences for someone acting as an outfitter guide for the illegal killing of wildlife, illegally obtaining Oregon hunting or angling licenses or tags, or illegally offering to act as an outfitter guide as defined in Oregon Revised Statutes 704.010 and 704.020.