Driver hits grazing 'deer' with pickup truck

By KVAL Web Staff Published: Dec 12, 2008 at 5:50 PM PST
Driver hits grazing 'deer' with pickup truck
Oregon State Police supplied this photo of the deer decoy post-collision.

WAMIC, Ore. -- The buck stood in a dark clearing amongst the trees, about 30 feet from the side of a forest road.

As the pickup approached last Sunday evening, the driver steered off the road, drove through a ditch and rammed the deer, breaking two legs and knocking off its antlers.

The deer -- a decoy -- flew about 12 feet backwards from the impact.

The buck was a decoy set up by Oregon State Police in response to recent poaching of large winter range buck deer in the area. Poachers had killed large buck deer, removing only their heads or antlers and leaving the carcasses to waste, according to police.

The driver who hit the decoy deer told state police he didn't intend to run over the deer and only wanted to get close enough to show it to his kids, police said.

Brian Lafaver, 34, of Tygh Valley was accompanied by his wife and two children when their truck hit the deer. The family was reportedly hunting for Christmas trees.

Police cited Lafaver to appear in Wasco County Circuit Court on two misdemeanor charges of Unlawful Taking Deer During Closed Season and Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree. Police also cited him for driving without a valid operator's license.

Police need public's help

OSP Fish & Wildlife troopers from The Dalles Area Command office are also asking for the public's help for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for the recent unlawful killing of the large winter range buck deer.  A reward of up to $500 is offered.

Anyone with information regarding that case can call the Turn in Poacher line at 1-800-452-7888.

Established in 1991, the Wildlife Enforcement Decoy program's primary goal is for wildlife troopers and violators to be in the same place at the same time, thus giving the ability to catch a violator without the loss of wildlife. 

The program has expanded to involve more wildlife species and genders. The "animal" decoys include turkey, mule deer, blacktail deer, whitetail deer, Roosevelt elk and Rocky Mountain elk.