Man Blames “Elk Fever” for Poaching Multiple Animals in Oregon

An Oregon man recently went on an elk shooting spree. According to an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) press release, the 66-year-old man had been given permission to hunt a piece of private property and had a late-season cow elk tag. One day in January, he killed and field-dressed a cow elk and left the property. Then, things took a strange turn.

The man, whose identity has not been released, returned to the area. “The guy came out and stopped at the road, and started shooting,” said the landowner, according to the press release. The culprit again left the scene. The landowner called him and encouraged him to return and turn himself in, which he did. According to the authorities, he cited “elk fever” for his actions and expressed remorse when he reported his crimes.

ODFW officials arrived at a grisly scene. They saw three wounded elk among the elk herd and euthanized one cow elk. The next day, they returned to the property and put down a mortally wounded bull. At the time, a wounded cow elk ran into the Nehalem River. Officials believe it likely drowned in the waterway.

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Officials seized a .308 rifle from the suspect, as well as the cow elk he had tagged and processed. They donated the meat from the dead elk to the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and Tillamook County Jail. The culprit was cited for shooting from a roadway, the unlawful take/possession of antlerless elk, and the unlawful take/possession of bull elk.

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