No charges filed in probe of antler buying

Published 5:00 pm Tuesday, April 18, 2006

CANYON CITY – Oregon State Police, Fish and Wildlife Division troopers from the John Day, Pendleton, and Heppner offices served a search warrant at a licensed antler dealer’s Canyon City-area residence that is part of an ongoing investigation into the unlawful purchase of antlers.

No charges have been filed.

The investigation was announced April 18.

During the late fall of 2005, OSP and Fish and Wildlife troopers assigned to the John Day office started the investigation after receiving complaints from the community alleging the licensed dealer was unlawfully purchasing prohibited antlers from deer and elk that were attached at the skull plate, including specimens that were taken unlawfully.

A lucrative market exists for antlers for the use in traditional medicines in other cultures, and of trophy class antlers sold as mounts and other antler displays.

Licensed antler dealers in Oregon can only purchase lawfully taken and possessed antlers that are naturally shed or detached at the skull plate.

Those antlers purchased must only be used in handcrafted items, and the antler dealer is required to maintain records of the kinds and numbers of antlers purchased as well as the name, address and date from whom the antlers were acquired.

As a result of the search warrant, more than 100 antler sets attached at the skull plate were seized, including numerous trophy class antler sets from elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer. Several pronghorn horn sets and bear skulls were also seized.

The case is being reviewed by the Grant County District Attorney’s Office. Violations of the wildlife laws are Class A Misdemeanors, punishable by a fine of up to $6,250 and up to one year jail.