Two Grant County residents charged in illegal taking, waste of pronghorn antelope
JOHN DAY, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Two Grant County residents have been charged in the illegal taking and wasting of a pronghorn antelope buck, Oregon State Police said Tuesday.
On April 16, patrol troopers from the John Day Worksite assisted the John Day Police Department with the execution of a search warrant at a local residence regarding an ongoing theft investigation. The investigation involved an 18-year-old John Day man, Austin Catron.
During the warrant service, a pronghorn buck skull was observed near an outbuilding of the residence and that information was forwarded to OSP Fish & Wildlife troopers.
Based upon the information and further investigation, Fish & Wildlife troopers from the John Day Worksite executed a search warrant at Catron’s residence on April 28.
During the service, Fish & Wildlife troopers located the pronghorn buck skull, six buck deer skulls and a bull elk skull, all of which were seized as evidence. Additionally, another suspect, 19-year-old Grant County resident Jonas Waite, was identified.
Following further investigation and interviews, Fish & Wildlife troopers said they learned that during the fall of 2019, Catron unlawfully shot the antelope buck from a motor vehicle while Waite assisted.
The unlawful take occurred in the Murderers Creek Management Unit, and after shooting and killing the antelope, Catron and Waite removed the head/skull and left the rest of the animal to waste, OSP said.
Additionally, neither Catron nor Waite possessed a 2019 antelope tag, which is required in order to hunt for and/or take antelope, OSP said.
Further information revealed that Catron and Waite were also involved in the unlawful killing of multiple deer over the past two years, as well as Waite’s unlawful killing of a golden eagle.
As a result of the investigation, Catron was initially charged with Unlawful Taking of Antelope and Waste of a Game Mammal-Antelope. Waite was also initially charged with Aiding in the Unlawful Take of Antelope and Aiding in the Waste of a Big Game Animal.
Waite’s rifle, a 22-250, was identified as the weapon used in the taking and was subsequently seized as evidence. Additional charges will be forwarded for consideration, OSP said.
According to Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division Sergeant Erich Timko, only 54 antelope tags are available in the Murderers Creek unit for the 2020 big game season, and typically, it takes an Oregon resident approximately 10 years to successfully draw the tag.
Report Wildlife and Habitat Law Violators
Poaching wildlife and damaging habitats affects present and future generations of wildlife, impacts communities and the economy, and creates enforcement challenges.
The Oregon Hunters Association offers rewards to persons, through their T.I.P. fund, for information leading to the issuance of a citation to a person(s), or an arrest made of a person(s) for illegal possession, killing, or taking of bighorn sheep, mountain goat, moose, elk, deer, antelope, bear, cougar, wolf, furbearers and/or upland game birds and water fowl. T.I.P. rewards can also be paid for the illegal taking, netting, snagging, and/or dynamiting of game fish, and/or shell fish, and for the destruction of habitat.
In addition rewards may be paid for information leading to the issuance of a citation to a person(s), or an arrest made of a person(s) who have illegally obtained Oregon hunting/angling license or tags. People who “work” the system and falsely apply for resident license or tags are not legally hunting or angling and are considered poachers.
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Bighorn sheep, mountain goat, moose $1,000
Elk, deer, antelope $500
Bear, cougar, wolf $300
Habitat destruction $300
Illegally obtaining Oregon hunting or angling license or tags $200
Game fish, shell fish $100
Upland birds, waterfowl $100
Furbearers $100
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