Four Springfield Residents Nabbed for Illegal Killing of 3 Elk

OSP Fish & Wildlife troopers cite hunters Northwest of Roseburg.

Photograph of Senior Trooper Frerichs at location of concealed dead elk courtesy: Oregon State Police

(ROSEBURG, Ore.) - Oregon State Police (OSP) Fish & Wildlife Division troopers cited three men and a juvenile male all from Springfield on Saturday afternoon when a field contact led to the discovery of three illegally killed cow elk northwest of Roseburg.

On March 28th 2009 at approximately 3:00 p.m. OSP Senior Troopers Wayne Merritt and Don Frerichs were patrolling the Bateman Ridge area near Tyee about 20 miles northwest of Roseburg.

The troopers say they encountered two pickup trucks containing two dead cow elk.

A subsequent investigation and examination of the sites where the elk were killed led the troopers to determine another dead cow elk was concealed and left at the scene.

All three cow elk were killed in an area currently closed to the taking of elk.

The troopers seized two rifles associated with the illegal offenses and the three elk were taken to the Roseburg Patrol Office where they were salvaged and seized.

The troopers cited the below subjects:

* 37-year old Marvin L. Dean of Springfield, for two counts of Unlawful Taking of Cow Elk

* 33-year old Giovanni Bonnati of Springfield, for one count of Aiding in a Wildlife Crime

* 54-year old Ronald Chase of Springfield, for one count of Aiding in a Wildlife Crime

* A 14-year old male juvenile from Springfield for one count of Unlawful Taking of Cow Elk