Authorities in Oregon and Washington are investigating ten people as part of a wide-ranging poaching case that left more than 11 animals dead and their meat left to rot.
“These are not hunters,” Jeff Wickersham, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) captain, told KOIN-TV. “These individuals are not part of the hunting public that actually take conservation in to mind when they go afield.”
WDFW and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife served approximately 20 warrants. They say the poachers sought elk, deer, bobcats, bears, mountain lions and other animals during a closed season while using spotlights and dogs.
“This wasn’t one or two animals. This wasn’t ten animals. This wasn’t twenty. It was more than that and that in and of itself is a shocking and staggering number,” added Wickersham.
If you have any additional information, contact WDFW or ODFW.
(Photo source: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)