Christopher George Matson, a 48-year-old former Oregon Department of Corrections officer from Umatilla, has been permanently kicked out of Oregon's hunting ranks and ordered to pay more than $114,000 after admitting to a string of big-game poaching crimes this month. Judges in Grant and Umatilla counties handed down punishments that run at the same time, including 24 months of probation, 300 hours of community service and the forfeiture of firearms and other property. According to investigators, Oregon State Police opened a case on Matson in 2024 and served a search warrant in February 2025, seizing multiple big-game animals and weapons.
In a press release from the Oregon State Police, officials said Matson pleaded guilty June 18 in Grant County Circuit Court to four counts of unlawful take of buck deer and three counts of unlawful take of black bear. That portion of the case carried an 18-month probation term and a $52,500 fine. On June 29, he entered additional guilty pleas in Umatilla County Circuit Court to unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle, unlawful possession of a silencer, unlawful possession of multiple wildlife and unlawful take of mule deer, drawing another $62,000 in fines and a 24-month probation term that runs concurrently with the Grant County sentence.
Oregon Department of Justice Wildlife Anti-Poaching Resource Prosecutor Jay Hall called the scope of the crimes unusually severe, saying, "The conduct across the several counties amounts to one of the highest damage amounts done to Oregon wildlife by any singular actor." The same Oregon State Police release notes that 67 criminal charges were referred for prosecution across multiple counties.
Charges, Seized Evidence and Firearms
In total, prosecutors referred 67 counts that ranged from unlawful take or possession of black bear with the aid of bait to falsely applying for licenses, loaning or borrowing big-game tags and hunting during prohibited hours, according to Northwest Sportsman, which republished the Oregon State Police statement. The February 2025 search warrant turned up multiple big-game carcasses along with a cache of firearms and silencers, all of which were later forfeited after Matson entered his guilty pleas.
Where This Fits in Oregon Enforcement
State wildlife officials say this outcome fits into a broader effort to crack down on repeat poachers who target big game across wide swaths of rural Oregon. Recent serial poaching cases in eastern Oregon have also resulted in lifetime hunting-rights revocations and heavy fines, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Agencies have leaned on multi-agency teamwork and tips from the public to piece together sprawling, multi-county investigations like Matson's.
How to Report Suspected Poaching
Anyone with information about unlawful hunting or habitat crimes can contact the Turn-in-Poachers hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or email [email protected]. The Protect Oregon's Wildlife site explains how reports are handled and how rewards work in eligible cases.
With Matson's guilty pleas on the books and the seized weapons forfeited, the multi-year Oregon State Police investigation that stretched across county lines is now formally wrapped. Prosecutors say the steep fines, lifetime hunting ban and long list of convictions are intended to protect Oregon's game populations and send a clear warning to would-be repeat offenders.
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