Teens cited in wildlife slaughter

Sisters teens have been cited in connection with the slaughter of deer and elk in Sisters Country.

According to Oregon State Police (OSP), the citations culminated an eight-month investigation by OSP Fish & Wildlife Division, with the assistance of U.S. Forest Service law enforcement and Deschutes County Sheriff's Office into the unlawful taking and waste of deer and elk in the Metolius Wildlife Management Unit.

Senior Trooper Mark Prodzinski and Senior Trooper Charles Lindberg began the investigation when locks were discovered shot off gates leading to critical mule deer winter range habitat. Headless mule deer bucks were found - their meat wasted - as were mule deer does that were shot and left to waste.

OSP Fish & Wildlife troopers worked Wildlife Enforcement Decoy (WED) operations and late night patrols in the area with the assistance of air flight patrols. During the investigation, troopers found other evidence of illegal deer poaching in different areas of the Metolius Unit.

Evidence accumulated during the investigation identified three main suspects who are facing charges in Deschutes, Jefferson and Jackson counties. They are identified as: Cole Craig, age 18, Bend address; Tyler S. Mitchell, age 18, from Gold Hill; a 17-year-old male from Sisters.

Craig and the 17-year-old have attended Sisters schools.

Craig was briefly taken into custody and lodged in the Deschutes County Jail on local-area charges. He was also cited to appear in Jefferson County Circuit Court on charges for allegations in that county. Mitchell was cited to appear on charges in Jackson County.

The juvenile male was cited to appear in Jefferson County Circuit Court for taking deer in a closed season and three counts of aiding in a wildlife

violation.

Charges for Craig include Taking Deer Closed Season (Jefferson - 8 counts; Deschutes -1 count); Taking Elk Closed Season (Jefferson - 2 counts); Waste of Wildlife - Deer (Jefferson - 7 counts; Deschutes - 1 count); Waste of Wildlife - Elk (Deschutes - 2 counts); and Hunting with Aid of Artificial Light (Jefferson - 3 counts). 

Mitchell was cited in Jackson County for Unlawful Possession of Deer Parts (6 counts). He was also cited to appear in Deschutes and Jefferson counties for Taking Deer Closed Season (Jefferson - 5 counts; Deschutes - 1 count); Waste of Wildlife (Jefferson - 3 counts; Deschutes - 1 count); Hunting with Aid of Artificial Light (Jefferson - 3 counts); and Criminal Mischief in the First Degree (Jefferson - 1 count).

The investigation is continuing.