Oregon State Police released images of deer walking through a field with arrows shot through their bodies, and they continued to seek the public’s help on Tuesday in identifying those responsible.
Last week, officers from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife heard about a deer in southwest Oregon that was walking around with an arrow in its body. The state troopers, along with the fish and wildlife officers, went to the area, near the town of Shady Cove, to try to find the deer and tranquillize it in order to remove the arrow.
They were unable to locate the deer, however one of the troopers later spotted a second deer that had been shot with an arrow. Both deer were able to feed and walk, and their injuries didn’t appear to be life-threatening. Then the troopers got information on possibly a third deer with an arrow stuck in it.
The Oregon Hunters Association is offering a $2,600 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible.
“Poaching wildlife and damaging habitats affects present and future generations of wildlife, impacts communities and the economy, and creates enforcement challenges,” state police said.
Whoever did this was working outside of hunting season. The archery season for hunting deer in Oregon generally runs from mid-August to late September and from mid-November to mid-December, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.