A hunting camp set up by illegal guides, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Two Oregon men were convicted of operating as illegal hunting guides. 

ENTERPRISE — Two Oregon men convicted of illegally guiding hunters in Wallowa County forfeited mules and gear, among other penalties, following a multistate investigation, according to a news release issued Monday.

The investigation, which started with a complaint, spanned two years and stretched from Oregon to Michigan and Ohio.

David H. Ravia, 69, from Dayton; and Caleb L. Richmond, 48, from McMinnville; guided out-of-state hunters in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area for at least the last 10 years, Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Lt. Ryan Howell said in the news release.

Ravia pleaded guilty April 6 to three counts of failure to register as an outfitter/guide, and Richmond pleaded guilty to five counts of failure to register as an outfitter/guide on June 16, 2021.

Both must pay fines and serve 24 months probation, which includes no hunting, guiding or possessing firearms while camping. They also must serve 80 hours of community service and issue a letter of apology to hunters and guides. Ravia also forfeited evidence seized in the case, including pack bags, a chain saw and saddles.

Two of six mules involved in the case were also seized. Now the property of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, they might be used in the high-lakes fish-stocking program, according to wildlife biologist Phillip Perrine.

Ravia and Richmond’s clients often came from out of state, which created a federal connection to the case and brought in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to join the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife division, along with the natural resources departments in Michigan and Ohio, according to the news release from ODFW.

The pair would tell clients that if anyone asked, they should say Ravia and Richmond were friends, not guides, the news release stated.

In a coordinated effort, law enforcement officials searched Ravia’s home in Dayton and interviewed residents in Ohio and Michigan on Aug. 27, 2019. At the same time, state police fish and wildlife troopers apprehended and served search warrants on Ravia and Richmond at a trailhead as they led a pack of six mules carrying hunters and gear toward their remote camp, according to Howell.

Licensing guides ensures they are adequately insured and bonded, have basic first aid and CPR skills, carry the required safety equipment and agree to conduct themselves ethically and professionally, according to Cyndi Bolduc, outfitter guides program coordinator with the Oregon State Marine Board, which oversees guides and outfitters.

The case activated a new Turn In Poachers reward program directed by the Oregon Outfitter Guide Association, according to law enforcement.

In July, the marine board started a new poachers line reward program modeled after current efforts managed by the Oregon Hunters Association and the Oregon Wildlife Coalition. Tipsters who call in illegal guide activity can earn $200 if their tips lead to an arrest or citation. In 2021, the Hunters Association handed out nearly $11,000 in rewards, and ODFW issued 178 hunter preference points for callers whose tips lead to an arrest or citation.

The tipsters who reported Ravia and Richmond’s illegal activities to the state police each received a $200 reward after the two men were charged and convicted, according to the news release. For more information, visit https://dfw.state.or.us/stop-poaching/

The Stop Poaching Campaign educates the public on how to recognize and report poaching. This campaign is a collaboration among state agencies, hunters and other conservationists, landowners, and recreationists to engage the public in combatting Oregon’s poaching problem. For more information, visit https://dfw.state.or.us/stop-poaching/.