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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Since You Asked: Pedestrians can be cited for carelessness ... Wolf once believed to be dead shows up near Crater Lake ... One of Oregon's two health insurance co-ops says it will shut down ... Since You Asked: Pedestrians can be cited for carelessness ... Wolf once believed to be dead shows up near Crater Lake ... One of Oregon's two health insurance co-ops says it will shut down ... WILDLIFE CRIME Elk poacher ordered to pay $17,000 for Lake Creek Road area crimes Tipsters get more than $15,000 for info that helped crack the case Comment By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted May. 14, 2015 at 3:01 PM By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted May. 14, 2015 at 3:01 PM » Social News A reward of more than $15,000 helped lead to the conviction of an Eagle Point teenager ordered Wednesday to pay $17,000 in damages for poaching a large Roosevelt bull elk and two black-tailed deer last year in Jackson County. Austin Blake Burkett, 19, was ordered to pay the five-figure restitution largely because the six-point elk he shot and left to waste carries a restitution value of $15,000. The order was signed Wednesday by Jackson County Circuit Judge Kelly Ravassipour a month after Burkett pleaded guilty to a Class A misdemeanor poaching charge for killing the elk. The order also included $2,000 for two black-tailed deer bucks killed by Burkett but not considered "trophies," according to the Oregon State Police. Had the bucks had antlers counting four points or more per antler, the restitution would have climbed to $7,500 apiece for the deer, OSP Lt. Kirk Meyer said. Burkett also was sentenced April 13 to two years' bench probation and had his hunting privileges suspended for three years. Burkett originally was charged with six misdemeanor poaching counts, but the remaining five counts were dropped as part of his plea agreement, court records show. Burkett's co-defendant in the case, Christian D. Cochran of Eagle Point, faces four similar misdemeanor poaching charges, court records show. He has a May 26 trial date. The unidentified tipster or tipsters who helped identify the two defendants will receive more than $15,000 in rewards. Of that, $10,000 was put up by the Humane Society of the United States, while $5,000 was from the C2 Ranch, where one of the animals was shot. The remaining $250 came from the Oregon Hunters Association. Meyer said it was unclear whether the large reward led to tips that led police to Burkett. "It's hard to say," Meyer said. "I don't know whether the tipster or tipsters would have called in anyways. But if someone has doubts, that kind of reward could make the difference." Burkett and Cochran were accused in a slew of poaching cases in the Lake Creek Road area last fall, during which several deer and at least the one bull elk were killed and had their heads removed, with the rest of the body left to waste. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/MTwriterFreeman . By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune Posted May. 14, 2015 at 3:01 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501