TROY, Ore. — The Oregon Hunters Association is offering a $3,500 reward for information that leads to an arrest or citation in the case of the poaching of a bighorn sheep at Wenaha Wildlife Area near Troy, Oregon earlier this year.
A severed ear and damaged GPS collar were all that was found after the sheep was poached in late January. According to the GPS collar, the animal died on Jan. 26.
The identification tag on the ear indicates that the ram was an adult, and forensics evidence indicates the animal was shot, said Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Sgt. Chris Hawkins.
A wildlife technician found the collar and the ear when she went out to investigate a mortality signal from the GPS collar. She found a trail where the carcass had been dragged toward the road, along with two spots of blood and several tufts of fur beneath the collar.
Three bighorn sheep were poached in 2018, the most recent year in which statistics were compiled. Wildlife officials say others likely were poached but the carcasses weren't found or there wasn't enough evidence.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Turn in Poachers (TIP) line by dialing by dialing *OSP or 800-452-7888.
