The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division on Aug. 16, 2024, released this image of sturgeon poaching that took place in or around May 9 in Umatilla County. OSP is asking for the public's help to identify the person in the image.

UMATILLA COUNTY — The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is asking for the public’s help to identify the person or person who were present or responsible for the unlawful take of oversized sturgeon within the protected sturgeon breeding sanctuary in Umatilla County.

OSP troopers received a tip that an oversized sturgeon was unlawfully taken during the night on or around May 9. A video of the event was posted to Snapchat under the username of “rodrigo” with an orange/yellow maple leaf emoji.

The incident involves one person holding the fishing rod hooked to the fish while another person enters the water and wrestles the sturgeon to shore. This subject then lifts the sturgeon vertically by shoving his hands through the gills and out the mouth. The injuries to the sturgeon’s gills were almost certainly fatal.

All sturgeon angling is closed within the breeding sanctuary from May 1 to Aug. 31 to protect the breeding stock. According to the 2011 Lower Columbia River and Oregon Coast White Sturgeon Conservation Plan, as well as information collected in a study by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (Samuel Hess from 1980-83), male sturgeon do not breed until they are approximately 54 inches in length (10-15 years old) and females do not breed until they are approximately 66 inches (15-25 years old). It takes many years for sturgeon to grow to breeding size and the one depicted in the video appears to be over 72 inches.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Oregon State Police Dispatch at 800-452-7888, *OSP (*677), or email TIP@osp.oregon.gov. Reference case number SP24-229621.

Report wildlife and habitat law violators

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

The TIP 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.

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: 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 the following 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.

Cash rewards

Oregon Hunters Association

$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

$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

Oregon Outfitters & Guides Association

$200 acting as an outfitter guide for the illegal killing of wildlife, illegally obtaining an Oregon hunting or angling licenses or tags, or illegally offering to act as an outfitter guide as defined in ORS 704.010 and 704.020.

TIP Hotline: 800-452-7888 or *OSP (*677)

TIP email: TIP@osp.oregon.gov (monitored Monday through Friday. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

For more information visit: www.oregon.gov/osp/programs/fw/Pages/tip.aspx