On April 2, troopers from the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division received a call reporting a dead elk off of Silver Ridge Road, west of Silver Falls State Park.
Troopers located the elk and were able to determine it was a large branch antler bull that had been shot and killed with a high-power rifle. The antlers were taken and the entire carcass was left to waste. The antlers were broken off at the bases and will appear similar to a naturally shed antler.
Troopers were able to recover a bullet from the elk carcass and are seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect.
The bull was likely shot over Easter weekend, between Friday, March 30 and Sunday, April 1. Any information may be forwarded to Senior Trooper Chris Boeholt in the Salem office of OSP Fish and Wildlife Division via the TIP line: 1-800-452-7888. A TIP reward is available for information leading to a conviction.
The Turn-In-Poachers (TIP) reward is paid for information leading to the arrest/conviction of person(s) for the illegal possession, killing, taking and/or waste of deer, elk, antelope, bear, cougar, wolf, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, moose, furbearers and/or game birds.
TIP rewards can also be given for the illegal taking, netting, snagging and/or dynamiting of salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and/or large numbers of any fish listed in Oregon statute as a game fish.