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November 14, 2002
Blue Mountain elk poaching now epidemic
The motive in a string of recent cases may be trophy collecting since only antlers have been taken.
Doug Huddle, For the Bellingham Herald
State wildlife officials and conservation groups have upped the reward ante to almost $2,000 for information that brings to justice any persons responsible for one or more of illegal elk killings in the Blue Mountains of Southeast Washington.
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Program is reporting that since early October, 15 branch-antlered bulls and two cows have been poached from elk bands in Columbia County. So far, charges have been brought in only one case, that involving a Sumner man, Jon Morton, who faces one count of killing a six-point bull elk in a closed season and one count of wastage of game, both filed in Columbia County District Court.
To generate leads that help catch other poachers, the Hunters Heritage Council is now offering rewards totaling $1,200 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of poachers involved in each separate incident. The council is a coalition comprised of the groups Citizens for Washington Wildlife, Washington State Bowhunters, the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council, Washingtonians for Wildlife Conservation and the Puget Sound, Northwest, Inland Empire and Central Washington chapters of Safari Club International.
Besides the private sector reward monies, the fish and wildlife department has a reward fund that pays up to $100 per each charged violator involved in each case. And with the cash, the department also will give hunter preference points for special permit drawings to any law-abiding hunter who provides critical information.
Investigating fish and wildlife agents say that in most of the Blue Mountain cases involving bulls, the perpetrators are only taking the antlers, leaving the meat to rot. The most recent poaching incidents are clustered in the Eckler Mountain, Jasper Mountain and Skyline Road areas southeast of the community of Dayton.
But with the inclusion of this new spate of unlawful takes, the total known illegally killed bull elk in the Blue Mountains region this year has reached 40 animals. Wildlife officials fear the killings will take their toll on the herd's viability and could eventually force the department to cut back seasons and overall harvest for lawful hunters.
Washington's current wildlife code provides, upon conviction for big game poaching, for civil penalties of up to $6,000, as much as $5,000 in fines and up to one year's imprisonment for each count. Civil forfeiture proceedings often will be taken against a poacher's instruments of the crime, including vehicles and firearms.
Anyone with information that could solve any of the Blue Mountain elk poachings is asked to call the Columbia County Sheriff's Office at (509) 382-2518, the fish and wildlife department's Spokane regional headquarters at (509) 456-4082 or the toll-free poaching tip line at 1-800-477-6224.
If you wish to report a violation of the state's fish or wildlife codes in progress, call any local state patrol office. In Whatcom County, the telephone number is 676-2076. The toll-free poaching report line also can be used to report incidents in progress as well as information after the fact or dangerous wildlife incidents.
Blue Mountain elk poaching now epidemic
The motive in a string of recent cases may be trophy collecting since only antlers have been taken.
Doug Huddle, For the Bellingham Herald
State wildlife officials and conservation groups have upped the reward ante to almost $2,000 for information that brings to justice any persons responsible for one or more of illegal elk killings in the Blue Mountains of Southeast Washington.
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Program is reporting that since early October, 15 branch-antlered bulls and two cows have been poached from elk bands in Columbia County. So far, charges have been brought in only one case, that involving a Sumner man, Jon Morton, who faces one count of killing a six-point bull elk in a closed season and one count of wastage of game, both filed in Columbia County District Court.
To generate leads that help catch other poachers, the Hunters Heritage Council is now offering rewards totaling $1,200 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of poachers involved in each separate incident. The council is a coalition comprised of the groups Citizens for Washington Wildlife, Washington State Bowhunters, the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council, Washingtonians for Wildlife Conservation and the Puget Sound, Northwest, Inland Empire and Central Washington chapters of Safari Club International.
Besides the private sector reward monies, the fish and wildlife department has a reward fund that pays up to $100 per each charged violator involved in each case. And with the cash, the department also will give hunter preference points for special permit drawings to any law-abiding hunter who provides critical information.
Investigating fish and wildlife agents say that in most of the Blue Mountain cases involving bulls, the perpetrators are only taking the antlers, leaving the meat to rot. The most recent poaching incidents are clustered in the Eckler Mountain, Jasper Mountain and Skyline Road areas southeast of the community of Dayton.
But with the inclusion of this new spate of unlawful takes, the total known illegally killed bull elk in the Blue Mountains region this year has reached 40 animals. Wildlife officials fear the killings will take their toll on the herd's viability and could eventually force the department to cut back seasons and overall harvest for lawful hunters.
Washington's current wildlife code provides, upon conviction for big game poaching, for civil penalties of up to $6,000, as much as $5,000 in fines and up to one year's imprisonment for each count. Civil forfeiture proceedings often will be taken against a poacher's instruments of the crime, including vehicles and firearms.
Anyone with information that could solve any of the Blue Mountain elk poachings is asked to call the Columbia County Sheriff's Office at (509) 382-2518, the fish and wildlife department's Spokane regional headquarters at (509) 456-4082 or the toll-free poaching tip line at 1-800-477-6224.
If you wish to report a violation of the state's fish or wildlife codes in progress, call any local state patrol office. In Whatcom County, the telephone number is 676-2076. The toll-free poaching report line also can be used to report incidents in progress as well as information after the fact or dangerous wildlife incidents.
