Two charged in Wheeler Co. poaching of trophy buck

Oregon State Police, in conjunction with the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office and Warm Springs Department of Natural Resources, recently completed an investigation into the unlawful take of a trophy 4×6 buck mule deer in Wheeler County near Fossil.

The investigation revealed that on October 27, around 6:20 p.m., Erland Suppah Sr.,69, of Warm Springs, and Oscar Finley, 40, of Wapato, Washington unlawfully shot the trophy buck on private property without permission during closed season from the highway right-of-way, troopers said.

Suppah was criminally cited Monday on charges of unlawful taking of a buck deer during closed season, hunting on the enclosed lands of another and hunting in a prohibited area highway right of way.

Finley was criminally cited on charges of unlawful taking of a buck deer during closed season and hunting on the enclosed lands of another.

The deer was seized as evidence, troopers said.