Police Seek Help in Illegal Prineville Deer Kill
Oregon State Police are asking the public for tips to identify the person who killed a buck deer out of season near Prineville.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Hunting
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Oregon State Police are seeking public help identifying the person responsible for the illegal killing of a buck deer on private property along O'Neil Highway in Crook County. The deer was killed with archery equipment between Oct. 26 and Oct. 28, when no legal deer season was in effect.
Why it matters
Illegal killings of wildlife out of season reduce deer populations and undermine the fair chase rules that regulated hunting depends on. Tips from the public are a primary way investigators identify violators in cases like this one.
The buck was killed with archery equipment between Oct. 26 and Oct. 28, after rifle season closed on Oct. 14. Tipsters can submit anonymous reports to the Turn-In-Poachers hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or by calling *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone.
The players
Oregon State Police
The state's primary law enforcement agency, which investigates wildlife violations alongside its general policing duties and runs the Turn-In-Poachers program.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
The state agency responsible for managing Oregon's fish and wildlife resources, including setting hunting seasons and regulations, and a partner in the Turn-In-Poachers program.
The details
Troopers responded to a report on Oct. 29 of a buck deer killed on private property along O'Neil Highway near Century Drive and Elliot Lane in Crook County, near Prineville. Investigators have asked anyone with information to come forward, and tips can be submitted anonymously.
Timeline
Oct. 14: Rifle deer season concluded.
Oct. 26 to Oct. 28: The buck was killed with archery equipment.
Oct. 29: State police responded to the report.
Legal Context
Oregon's Turn-In-Poachers program, run jointly by the Oregon State Police and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, relies on public tips and offers informants four preference points for valid deer, elk, pronghorn, bear, or cougar reports. This case shows the program's model in action, as investigators depend on anonymous public reporting to solve illegal killings that occur outside legal hunting seasons.
Anyone with information about the deer killing can report it anonymously to the Turn-In-Poachers hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or call *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone. Tipsters who provide valid information about deer, elk, pronghorn, bear, or cougar receive four preference points.
The takeaway
Reporting suspected wildlife violations is a practical way residents can help protect deer populations. Tips can be submitted anonymously, which lets people report information without revealing their identity.
Further reading
For more on the rules that govern legal seasons, see Hunting coverage across Oregon.
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