Oregon State Police Hunt Father and Son for Poaching Wild Steelhead at Amacher Park

A father and son were stopped in the parking lot at John P. Amacher Park on the North Umpqua River on Thursday, May 8. The Oregon State Police (OSP) are seeking them after a wild steelhead was later found stashed in bushes where one of them had been fishing.

The public is asked to provide information on the pair, and significant rewards are offered.

Although the two were not positively identified during the contact at Amacher Park as they fled the scene before the steelhead was found, OSP confirmed that they were driving a gray or silver SUV, similar to a Toyota Highlander.

They could be from the Springfield area and are known to sometimes fish the Dollar Hole on the Main Umpqua.

Rewards For Turning In Wild Steelhead Poachers

For reporting wildlife and habitat law violators, the following rewards are available:

Turn In Poachers (TIP) program

A collaboration between OSP, the Oregon Hunters Association, ODFW, the Oregon Wildlife Coalition (OWC) and Oregon Outfitter and Guides Association, as well as the Oregon State Marine Board, the TIP program has preference point rewards it will allocate for information that leads to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take, possession, or waste of big game mammals.

The TIP reward points are for species like Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Goats, Wolves, and other animals.

Cash rewards from the TIP program are also paid for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for:

• The unlawful take/possession or waste of certain fish and wildlife species.
• Habitat destruction, illegally obtaining hunting or angling license or tag, lending or borrowing big game tags, spotlighting, or snagging.

Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) cash rewards

A $2,000 reward is offered for Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, or Moose. Still, other rewards are on offer, including $400 for Game Fish & Shellfish and $400 for Snagging/Attempts to Snag, sponsored, in part, by Northwest Steelheaders Association and Coastal Conservation Association. There are also rewards for:

• Habitat destruction: $300
• Illegally obtaining Oregon hunting or angling license or tags: $200
• Spotlighting: $200

Oregon Wildlife Coalition (OWC) Cash Rewards

$500 is offered for specific birds of prey and other animals and $1,000 for certain “threatened” or “endangered” species excluding fish.

Oregon Outfitters & Guides Association (OOGA) Cash Rewards

$200  is offered for:

• Acting as an Outfitter Guide for the Illegal Killing of Wildlife
• Illegally Obtaining Oregon Hunting or Angling Licenses or Tags
• Illegally Offering to Act as an Outfitter Guide as defined in ORS 704.010 and 704.020.

Callers may remain anonymous, but if you have information about the Amacher Park wild steelhead poachers, please:

• Call the TIP hotline at 800-452-7888, or
• Contact Senior Trooper Kyle Bachmeier through OSP’s Southern Command Center at 800-442-2068 or
• Contact  *OSP (*677).
• Please reference case number SP25-152261.