Oregon State Police Asking for Tips on Elk Killing on Coast, at Cannon Beach

Updated 04/21/26 at 7:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – Elk on on the north Oregon coast are some of the more endearing aspects of visiting the area, but someone wantonly killed one of these beloved creatures in the Cannon Beach area last night and authorities want to know who. (Photo OSP)

The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division (OSP) is asking for the public’s help in identifying the person responsible for the killing and shooting of an elk in Cannon Beach, and rewards are being offered.

In the early morning hours of Monday, April 20, 2026, a dead cow elk was found along the edge of the roadway near South Spruce Street and East Adams.

“A witness reported seeing a vehicle leaving the area at a high rate of speed before the elk was discovered,” said OSP.

Oregon Coast Beach Connection talked to OSP spokesperson Jolene Kelley Tuesday morning, and she said the elk was shot in the head and the crime is also considered poaching. It was not hit by a vehicle or shot as a kind of mercy killing after some other injury, as some online have theorized.

"The elk was shot in the city," Kelley told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. "There is a resident herd that’s pretty well known in the area."

The graphic photo below does seem to indicate a bullet wound. The photo is gruesome - click on the photo to see the actual image.

OSP is asking residents in the surrounding neighborhood to review any security or doorbell camera footage for suspicious activity between 4:00 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.

Anyone with information is asked to email TIP@osp.oregon.gov or contact OSP Dispatch at 800-442-0776, or by calling *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone. The case number is SP26-128609.

Elk on the Oregon coast and in the Cannon Beach area in particular have been in the public, as local government officials and citizens have become concerned about the aggressive and sometimes dangerous behavior exhibited by them.

OSP also reminds the public about the Turn In Poachers (TIP) program, a partnership between the Oregon State Police, Oregon Hunters Association, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Wildlife Coalition, Oregon Outfitters and Guides Association, and the Oregon State Marine Board. The program offers preference point rewards for information leading to an arrest or citation involving the unlawful take, possession, or waste of big game mammals. Eligible species include bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goat, moose, wolf, elk, deer, pronghorn antelope, bear, and cougar.

Preference Point Rewards

Oregon Coast Beach Connection

5 Points: Bighorn Sheep

5 Points: Rocky Mountain Goat

5 Points: Moose

5 Points: Wolf

4 Points: Elk

4 Points: Deer

4 Points: Pronghorn Antelope

4 Points: Bear

4 Points: Cougar

Cash rewards are also available for information related to unlawful take or waste of fish and wildlife, habitat destruction, illegally obtaining hunting or angling licenses or tags, lending or borrowing big game tags, spotlighting, or snagging.

Cash Rewards:

Oregon Hunters Association (OHA) cash rewards:

$2,000 Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, or Moose

$1,000 Elk, Deer, or Antelope

$600 Bear, Cougar, or Wolf
$400 Game Fish & Shellfish
$400 Snagging/Attempt to Snag

$300 Habitat destruction

$200 Illegally obtaining Oregon hunting or angling license or tags

$200 Unlawful lending/borrowing big game tag(s)

$200 Game Birds or Furbearers

$200 Spotlighting

Reward amounts vary by species and violation, with contributions from the Oregon Hunters Association, Northwest Steelheaders Association, Coastal Conservation Association, the Oregon Wildlife Coalition, and the Oregon Outfitters and Guides Association.

To report a wildlife or habitat violation, call the TIP Hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or *OSP (*677). Tips may also be emailed to TIP@osp.oregon.gov. More information is available on the Oregon State Police Turn-In-Poachers webpage.

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