06/25/2026
Oregon might be crazy with their hunting laws, but they do handle poachers properly. Christopher Matson, 48, pleaded guilty in Grant County Circuit Court to 7 counts of taking, angling, hunting, or trapping in violation of wildlife law, and the punishment was not a slap on the wrist. He had his hunting license revoked for life, was sentenced to 18 months of bench probation with special conditions, ordered to complete 300 hours of community service, had fi****ms and other seized contraband forfeited, and was ordered to pay $52,500 in fines. I am still waiting on the official court documents to confirm exactly what animals were involved, but based on Oregon’s fine schedule and the $7,500-per-count math, it appears this involved seven illegally taken big-game animals. I don’t know the exact species yet. A lifetime hunting ban and $52,500 in fines is exactly how poaching cases should be treated.
— Stephen Ziegler
Outdoor writer | Owner, DeLong Lures
