Wildlife poaching update: Bite follows bark

In Oregon, officials dole out killer punishment after prosecuting a “wildlife crime spree”

Taken: Evidence representing some of the animals poached by a Pendleton man convicted this week of wildlife crimes. Photo: Oregon State Police

By Chuck Thompson. August 29, 2023. In July 2022, Columbia Insight reported on the sentencing of two Oregonians convicted of slaughtering seven elk while spraying bullets into a fleeing herd.

We asked then if the poachers had received a harsh enough punishment—six days in jail for the main perpetrator and a combined $2,500 fine.

That story was framed in the context of a May 2022 story in which we reported on Oregon’s announcement that it was planning to get tougher on wildlife poaching, in part by hiring a new special wildlife anti-poaching resources prosecutor, Jay Hall, to tackle wildlife crimes.

We’ve been waiting. And watching.

Now we can report that the state’s plans and promises finally seem to be coming to fruition.

On August 29, the Oregon State Police (OSP) and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced a poacher will pay $75,000 in fines and serve significant jail time after killing numerous deer and elk near Pendleton in what officials are calling a “wildlife crime spree.”

Walker Erickson, 28, of Pendleton, pleaded guilty to 22 charges including illegally killing deer and elk and leaving game animals to waste.

Poaching prosecutor: No tags? Jay Hall has a tag line for you. Photo: Oregon Dept. of Justice

After receiving a tip in summer 2020, OSP began gathering information that led to a search warrant of Erickson’s residence in December 2021.

“Troopers seized six sets of deer antlers, three sets of elk antlers including those of a 7×7 trophy bull elk, a rifle, a bow and meat. The investigation led Troopers to additional instances of poaching,” according to a joint OSP/ODFW press release.

Erickson will serve 14 days in jail during elk hunting season for the next three years.

“Elk season is now jail season,” said Hall, an assistant attorney general with the Oregon Department of Justice who prosecuted the case on behalf of the Umatilla County District Attorney’s office.

The case reflects the first significant application of new sentencing guidelines established by the Oregon Legislature in 2018. Passed in 2018, HB 3035 created stiffer penalties and allows prosecutors to elevate poaching crimes from a misdemeanor to a felony.

“All of this conduct, if it had occurred only a year before, before the legislature created these felony-level poaching crimes, he would be facing only misdemeanor sentencing,” said Hall.

“Poaching poses a direct threat to Oregon’s precious fish and wildlife populations,” said Yvonne Shaw, ODFW Protect Oregon’s Wildlife Turn In Poachers campaign manager. “In 2022 alone, nearly 5,000 animals were poached in Oregon—that we know of.”

We’ve called out the state in the past for its less-than-robust response to wildlife crimes.

This week, all of those involved in prosecuting this poaching outrage deserve applause—and encouragement to keep up the good work.

If you know of or suspect crimes against fish, wildlife or habitat, report to the Turn In Poachers (TIP) Line. 1-800-452-7888 or dial *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone. Or email: TIP@osp.oregon.gov.

The views expressed in this article belong solely to its author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone else associated with Columbia Insight.