KATU 2 News - Portland, Oregon
November 19, 2003
CLACKAMAS COUNTY - It's the worst case of wildlife
poaching that local game officers have ever seen, and it was discovered in
Portland's backyard.
Last week KATU's Grant McOmie reported the worst illegal
garbage dump that land managers had ever seen.
Nearly 100 yards of household trash was left in the Mt.
Hood National Forest. Disgusting? You bet!
But it's nothing compared to what trooper Mike Hansen
showed KATU Wednesday morning.
Forty-nine Canadian Geese were shot and dumped off Maple
Lane in Clackamas County.
The geese, each weighing 10 pounds or more, were killed
and thrown to rot in a creek bed in last four days.
"Obviously they did a lot of shooting - took a lot of
birds and just wasted them," said officer Mike Hanson.
Wildlife biologists said it might be a case of 'poaching
opportunity,' as thousands of geese pass through our area at this time of
year.
"Sometimes its greed, sometimes it's opportunity,
sometimes it's even frustration with heavy goose use on a property, there
may be some frustration from the landowner," said biologist Don Vandebergh.
What makes this so terrible is the absolute waste of the
animals, this is not the case of an illegal hunter, this is an outright
poaching case.
More importantly, Oregon State Police - Fish and Wildlife
is going to need all the help they can get from the public to find the
criminals.
If you have any information about this crime call:
TIP: 'Turn-in-a-Poacher' 1-800-452-7888
OSP Game Officer Mike Hanson: 731-3027, extension 427.
Officer Hanson has few clues to this wildlife crime and he
could use your help.
"Hunters, birdwatchers, everyone - I mean these are their
birds! To just shoot them and dump them is unbelievable," said Hanson.
