Oregon State Police seek tips after mule deer shot with crossbow bolts near Elgin

A mule deer doe found near Elgin with arrows lodged in her head and lower neck area is now the focus of an Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife investigation, and troopers are asking Union County residents to report any suspicious activity tied to the shooting.

Fish and Wildlife troopers began getting calls on Saturday, April 18, after the doe was reported in and around Elgin. The arrows were believed to be crossbow bolts fired from a crossbow, and investigators assigned the case number SP26-126854. Oregon State Police is asking anyone with information to contact the Turn-In-Poachers line at 1-800-452-7888, *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone, or email TIP@osp.oregon.gov.

The incident became more than a wildlife complaint. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel located the deer on April 22, tranquilized it, removed the arrow from its neck, treated the wounds, ear-tagged the animal and released it after determining it was in good condition. The case put a spotlight on the work wildlife officers face when an injured animal cannot be found quickly or safely approached, and on the risk that a wounded deer could suffer for days before help arrives.

OSP’s Fish and Wildlife Division says it exists to enforce and protect Oregon’s wildlife and natural resources, and members monitor areas where illegal hunting and angling take place throughout the year. The Turn-In-Poachers program is a joint effort involving Oregon State Police, Oregon Hunters Association, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Wildlife Coalition, Oregon Outfitter and Guides Association and the Oregon State Marine Board. In wildlife cases, TIP can offer preference points and cash rewards, including in deer violations, giving residents a direct incentive to come forward.

For Union County, the Elgin case lands in a place where deer are a routine part of the landscape and where unlawful shooting can create a public-safety issue as well as an animal-welfare one. It also follows an August 2024 investigation in which Oregon State Police sought help after a cow elk was shot and left to waste near Rinehart Lane and Indian Creek Road outside Elgin, in the Catherine Creek Wildlife Management Unit. Taken together, the two cases raise a broader concern about whether wildlife harassment in the Elgin area is isolated or part of a continuing pattern that neighbors have a stake in stopping.