In what officials are calling a ‘wildlife crime spree’, an Oregon man had his day in court and was subject to a heavy sentencing under the state’s new poaching and wildlife laws.
Following a string of incidents through 2019-22, wildlife officials along with Oregon’s State Police banded together in an attempt to stop wildlife crimes before they started. With both state officials and residents sickened by a string of poaching incidents, legislation was finally passed that would see a number of misdemeanor charges bumped up to felonies.
House Bill 3035 was first introduced in 2019 and garnered support from both the Oregon Hunters Association along with ‘across the aisle’ support from environmental groups such as the Oregon Wild and Oregon Defenders of Wildlife. Bumping up misdemeanor crimes to felonies was an idea that could bring both hunters and those that oppose hunting together to help support the wildlife we both hold so dearly.
Paul Donheffner of the Oregon Hunters Association penned a letter supporting the bill, highlighting a 2018 crime in which a poaching ring led to 120 misdemeanor charges for killings of cougar, deer, bobcat, bear and squirrels.
“This was an organized killing ring,” he said. “They weren’t hunting, they were out to destroy our wildlife. It’s much more than a simple poaching case, and the consequences need to be more serious.”
The bill eventually passed with tremendous support and was aided by a number of other bills that would see additional funding for wildlife officers and a specialized wildlife crime prosecutor.
With the new bill in place, it was time for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the State Police to publicly announce its effectiveness. Last week they announced the conviction of Walker Erickson of Pendleton, who pled guilty to 22 counts of illegally hunting deer and elk and a slew of other charges. Overall, Erickson was hit with $75,000 worth of fines and was sentenced to 14 days in jail, which will be split over three years, coinciding with elk season.
Yvonne Shaw, the Turn in Poachers campaign manager for ODFW, said poaching isn’t just needless killing but also theft.
“We want people to know that Oregonians take this seriously,” she said. “We value our natural resources and we understand that when people take fish and wildlife illegally, they’re stealing from all Oregonians. They’re impacting all of this for our future generations.”
Erickson was also forced to forfeit his hunting rifle, bow and a freezer full of wild game meat that was donated to a local food bank.
Image: Oregon State Police
