Women bag deer poachers

Two young women recently chased some hunters who allegedly got an early jump on bow-hunting season.

In the early morning of August 28, the 19- and 18-year-old women were home late from their jobs as a waitress and hostess at a Bend restaurant. One heard voices and looked outside her house near George Cyrus Road east of Sisters to observe hunters bagging a deer by spotlight at 4 a.m.

Spotlighting deer is illegal, and bow season did not open until 5:30 a.m.

"I went downstairs to get my dad, but he was still pretty much asleep, so we jumped in my friend's car and followed them," said one of the girls.

They flashed their lights at the pickup, which then went faster. They passed the truck and tried to slow it down, but the pickup turned and went the other way.

"Then they pulled into a driveway and we pulled in behind right them; they couldn't get out," said one of the young women. "I asked 'What were you doing on our property?' Then I looked in the back of the truck and there was another guy lying down, and they had a deer."

The young women got names and license numbers from the truck, then went back home.

"I told my parents what we had done and they were a little upset," said one of the girls. Both of her parents are law enforcement officers. "But then they told me to call (police) dispatch," which put the girls in touch with an Oregon State Police game officer.

The two young women accompanied the officer to the site of the kill and evidence was gathered. The pick-up was traced to Salem, where the suspects will be contacted. The incident is under investigation, according to OSP.