Three Longview men charged with illegal hunting

OLYMPIA - Three Longview men were charged today with illegal hunting following an undercover investigation conducted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Micky Ray Gordon, Joseph A. Dills, and Adam Lee were arrested Wednesday night by WDFW enforcement officers in the Longview-Kelso area after a seven-month investigation stemming from a complaint from a concerned citizen.

Gordon, 36, was charged in Wahkiakum County Superior Court with one count of hunting black bear, cougar, bobcat or lynx with the aid of hounds; one count of animal cruelty; one count of unlawful big game hunting; one count of possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle; five counts of criminal trespass onto private woodlands; and two counts of malicious mischief.

Dills, 20, was charged in Wahkiakum County District Court with one count of hunting black bear, cougar, bobcat or lynx with the aid of hounds; one count of unlawful big game hunting; and five counts of criminal trespass onto private woodlands

Lee, 22, was charged in Lewis County Superior Court with one count of unlawful big game hunting.

A fourth man arrested Wednesday night in conjunction with the same illegal-hunting investigation has not yet been charged.

Concurrent with the arrests, WDFW officers searched five residences and a taxidermist's shop. Three hounds were seized, along with firearms, computers, vehicles, tracking equipment and other evidence, said Bill Jarmon, deputy chief of the WDFW enforcement program.

The dogs and the other items will be held by WDFW as evidence in the case, he said.

"Based on the evidence gathered so far, we expect to file additional charges in the coming weeks," said Jarmon, noting that the investigation will continue.