Six people involved in the unlawful taking of four bull elk near Cottage Grove in October 2009 pled guilty to numerous wildlife violations in Lane County Circuit Court. The sentence for the person responsible for shooting the elk includes jail time and a lifetime suspension of his hunting privileges.
Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division troopers arrested the six after four bull elk, a three-point, five-point, six-point and a six-by-seven-point, were shot late on the morning of Oct. 20 on private property in the Melrose wildlife management unit south of Cottage Grove.
Police arrested John K. Atwater, 50, of Cottage Grove as the shooter. The elk season was not open for the unit in which the elk were killed. After shooting the elk, Atwater was assisted by his son and four others in retrieving the elk by trespassing onto several different pieces of private property. Some of the elk were removed after the men, all from the Cottage Grove and Creswell areas, drove their vehicles onto the property where the elk were killed.
During court appearances in late December and early January, the six pled guilty to several charges related to the investigation.
John Atwater pled guilty to four counts of unlawful take of bull elk, two counts of hunting on the enclosed lands of another and two counts of borrowing a big game tag. He was sentenced to 40 days in the Lane County Jail, 24 months probation, ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, fined $6,674, ordered to forfeit his rifle and received a lifetime suspension of hunting privileges.
Dustin Atwater, 26, pled guilty to aiding in game violation and second-degree criminal trespass. He was sentenced to 15 days in the Lane County Jail, 18 months probation, ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution to ODFW, fined $892 and received a 48-month hunting license suspension.
David Pruitt, 78, pled guilty to aiding in game violation, loaning big game tag and hunting while in violation of criminal trespass. He was sentenced to 24 months probation, ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution to ODFW, fined $2,304, ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and received a 36-month hunting license suspension.
Homer Rhodes, 74, pled guilty to two counts of aiding in game violation and one count of loaning big game tag. He was sentenced to 24 months probation, ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution to ODFW and sentenced to complete 60 hours of community service.
Christopher Stevens, 35, pled guilty to aiding in game violation and was sentenced to 24 months probation, ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution to ODFW, ordered to pay a $1,202 fine; complete 160 hours of community service and received a 36-month hunting license suspension.
Bryan Shepard, whose age was not available, pled guilty to aiding in game violation and was sentenced to 24 months probation, ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and received a 24-month hunting license suspension.