Elk poacher nabbed by DNA evidence headed to prison

LINCOLN COUNTY, Ore. -- A year-long investigation in Lincoln County has ended with a Five Rivers man being sentenced to serve time in jail for the illegal possession of a cow elk.

Lyle T. Arrant, 51, pleaded guilty in Lincoln County Circuit Court to one count of unlawful possession of a game animal.

According to Sgt. Todd Thompson of the Oregon State Police Newport Area Command, the case began on Sept. 4, 2008, when Sr. Trooper Doug Canfield and Sr. Trooper Greg Torland received a call from a landowner in the Five Rivers area of Lincoln County. The landowner reported that two hunters had shot a cow elk with a rifle during bow hunting season. In examining the elk, officers found that attempts had been made to disguise that a rifle was used to kill the animal. Sr. Troopers Canfield and Torland obtained a DNA sample of the elk from meat found at the kill site.

Officers later contacted Arrant who claimed to have legally killed a different elk in the same area during bow season. A DNA sample was obtained from the hide of an elk that Arrant had in his possession which he claimed to have legally killed.

Both DNA samples were sent to the Idaho Fish and Game Forensics Laboratory. The results of the DNA test concluded that the hide sample seized from Arrant matched the meat sample recovered from the kill site.

In addition to being sentenced to 10 days in jail for Unlawful Possession of a Game Mammal, Arrant was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution, serve 3 years of probation and loose his hunting privileges for 2 years.

"This was a pretty significant sentence." said Sergeant Thompson. "We really hope that serves as a deterrent to others who might consider killing an animal more important than following the law."