In September 2016, Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division Mid-Valley Team began an investigation into the potentially unlawful take of a 6×6 bull elk in East Linn County.
As part of a hunting group, an acquaintance of the accused Jeffrey Allen McCraven, legally shot and wounded the bull elk on September 11, 2016. After assembling a search party to try and locate the animal, the group was unable to recover the elk.
The following morning, McCraven headed back into the area to attempt to locate the elk and eventually came across the expired animal. To make it appear as if he had shot and killed the elk himself, the 53-year-old man punctured the elk with arrows, validated his tag and tried to convince others that he had harvested the animal himself.
In court earlier this week, McCraven was found guilty of one count of taking, angling, hunting or trapping in violation of wildlife law or rule, a Class A violation.
Subject to the guilty verdict, McCRAVEN was required to
-Forfeiture of the elk meat and antlers; Ordered by the court to be released to the victim.
-Forfeiture of Bow and Arrow seized during the investigation.
-Pay $15,000 in restitution to ODFW.
-Pay $435 for the violation of Take/Possession of Bull Elk.
-Pay $279.23 for meat processing.
-Pay $500 to the OHA TIP fund.
-Hunting privileges suspended for a period of 3 years.
