Citizens help nab deer poacher

An early morning deer poaching incident behind Soji Station restaurant on September 11 alarmed a group of customers sipping coffee and quietly awaiting their bacon and eggs.

Employee Mike Swantko had seated a party of four hunters at 7:30 a.m. and just opened the blinds, allowing a view of two fawns and a buck grazing in the small field outside.

"We were just sitting there watching the mule deer for a few minutes and all of a sudden something flew out of the air and hit the buck," recalled Swantko. "The fawns scattered and the buck fell and you could see the arrow."

According to Swantko and other witnesses, a white car then whipped around the corner and pulled up in the middle of the field. A man and his son grabbed the dead deer and proceeded to haul it into their trunk. Swantko and a customer ran outside and surprised the poachers, who claimed they had shot the deer earlier and tracked it back into town.

Swantko took a cell phone picture of the car and plate as they drove off toward the pass.

"I was yelling their license plate number to let them know we had it," he said.

Sergeant Ron Martin of the Oregon State Police out of Springfield responded to the call and eventually cited a man from Stayton, Oregon, for unlawful taking of a deer within city limits. State law prohibits hunting within city limits although there are certain exceptions that weren't relevant here. It's charged as a Class "A" misdemeanor and carries a maximum fine of $6,500 and up to a year in jail.

"I got the radio call from Deschutes County sheriff's dispatch that someone shot and killed a mule deer within the City of Sisters and had loaded it into a vehicle headed west over Santiam Pass. I went and set up for the vehicle but found out that they wisely decided to turn themselves in to Black Butte Police Department," said Martin. "That was admirable of them."

Saturday, September 11, was the first day of High Cascade deer season and hunters were plentiful in the surrounding forests and fields. General archery season ended Sunday, September 26.

According to Martin's report, the hunter took a follow-up shot just outside the restaurant after initially hitting the deer earlier, and wanted to recover the animal and get out of there as quickly as possible. He decided to euthanize the animal even though it had traveled into a city limit.

"I found four-point mule deer buck in the trunk of the vehicle. There was a second wound mark in the flank area, supporting his claim," said Martin. "They had a current license and appropriate deer tag and had been initially hunting in an area where it was legal to do so. It's a tough choice sometimes. He was faced with a couple different options and unfortunately chose the wrong one, but the gentleman was very cooperative and respectful."

The deer was seized and donated to the Eugene Mission who will serve the venison for evening meals at their facility. If the meat is salvageable, the mission pays for the processing and handling. The wild game program with the Oregon State Police provides a healthy supply of food for the poor and less fortunate.

Swantko weighed in on the hunter's actions.

"With all the people in town for the folk festival, it was just irresponsible and reckless," said Swantko. "What if they had missed and hit a kid playing in the field. It was a stupid thing to do."