Unlawful hunting charges filed

COLFAX—Charges of unlawful hunting of big game in the second degree were filed Aug. 4 in District Court against four men. Department of Fish and Wildlife referred charges June 11, 2020, on nine people from the area for their alleged roles in the illegal take of at least three elk. Five charges were dismissed.

According to WDFW, an investigation by WDFW Police officers, along with a Whitman County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, allegedly showed that the men illegally used vehicles to chase, corral and prevent the escape of a large herd of elk near Endicott-St.John Road and Mulkey Road, before they shot multiple elk with muzzleloaders from the road and out of their vehicles.

WDFW officers had received multiple complaints over the past several years about a group of hunters for similar incidents, however the “hunts” usually took place behind locked gates on private property, so the officers were unsuccessful in pursuing these tips. In this case, two witnesses saw the event and contacted WDFW Police while the elk were still on the ground. As a result of the investigation, three vehicles were seized for forfeiture, along with three poached elk.

The four men charged are Dwayne Kjack of St. John, Randall Hooper of Colfax, Jason Heitstuman of St. John and Eric Thompson of Clarkston. Each face individual court appearance during the month of September.