Public assistance is requested to find poachers after two elk were recently poached and left to waste near Hwy 26 in Clatsop County. Members of the public who heard shots fired or noticed unusual activity near the Hwy 26 rest stop or near McGregor State Forest Road on or about Oct. 15 or 16 should contact Oregon State Police.
Both elk were found on private timber lands, but not together. The cases are likely not related according to Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Senior Trooper David Herman.
Herman is concerned about the number of poached deer and elk he has investigated over the past two years. He says the number is on the rise in the area.
“I’ve found at least 15 elk killed off-season in the last couple of years,” he said, “And those are just the ones that we get called about. There are many more that we don’t find.”
People with information of the incidents are asked to call the Turn In Poachers (TIP) Line at cellphone star 677 or call 877-452-7888