Dead bear in tree was mysteriously shot with arrow and bullets, Oregon officials say
Officials want to know who shot a black bear twice with a gun and once with an arrow and then left it sitting dead in a tree in Southern Oregon.
Oregon State Police say they got a call about the dead bear in a tree that had an arrow sticking out of it around 3 p.m. on Oct. 29. Upon investigating, they discovered the bear had been hit with two bullets as well, officials said in a news release.
It was not far from Talent, Oregon, about 280 miles south of Portland. Jackson County Fire District 5 helped officials get the bear out of the tree.
Evidence at the scene “indicated human involvement,” though authorities did not say what the evidence was.
Two days later, officials found a second dead bear in a tree in the same area. That bear was already decomposed and must have been killed earlier, but officials said they believe that bear’s death was also “human-caused.”
Unlawfully killing and wasting a black bear in Oregon can be punished with a $7,500 fine, KOIN reported.
Police are looking for the poacher or poachers who killed the bears. Officials ask anyone with information to contact the Oregon State Police Dispatch at 1-800-452-7888, *OSP* (*677) or email TIP@osp.oregon.gov and reference case number SP22291483.
The organization offers cash rewards or “preference points” through the Turn in Poachers (TIP) program to those who give information that leads to an arrest or citation of poachers.
Up to $500 can be awarded for identifying someone who unlawfully kills and/or wastes a black bear.
