Washington Man Sentenced to Nearly a Decade in Prison for Elk Poaching

Accountability has finally caught up with a Grays Harbor County man responsible for the wanton, wasteful slaughter of local wildlife—a crime that robs Washington’s ecosystems, steals from ethical hunters, and damages the state’s outdoor economy.

On Friday, March 27, Grays Harbor Superior Court Judge Katherine Svoboda dropped the hammer on Richard Loren Pratt, sentencing the convicted felon to 116 months in prison for the spree-killing of at least five cow elk.

The nearly 10-year term stands as the longest jail sentence handed down for a big game crime in Washington State in the last decade.

In addition to the prison time, Pratt was ordered to pay $10,000 in fines and forfeit two firearms.

The sentence comes after the justice system initially extended leniency to Pratt. In November 2025, he was granted a mental health sentencing alternative.

However, Pratt quickly squandered that opportunity by failing to report to his mandated treatment facility and dodging the Department of Corrections. A warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest, leading to his resentencing last week.

Pratt pleaded guilty to unlawful hunting of big game in the first degree (a Class C felony), unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree (a Class B felony), and wastage of wildlife (a gross misdemeanor).

A Senseless, Malicious Slaughter

The charges stem from a gruesome discovery investigated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police.

Officers found at least five cow elk that had been shot and killed with a high-powered rifle in Game Management Unit 658—an area that was explicitly closed for harvest at the time.

Wildlife officials and conservationists widely condemn such spree-killings, noting that acts of poaching like this are often committed merely for the thrill of the kill, out of spite, or for sick target practice.

The damage extends far beyond the individual animals. Elk are vital to regional ecology as major native grazers that help manage fuel loads and maintain habitats.

Furthermore, healthy herds draw millions of dollars into rural economies through wildlife viewing ecotourism and highly regulated, sustainable hunting seasons.

When poachers decimate a local herd and leave them to rot, they are directly stealing a communal resource and jeopardizing the biological balance of the region.

The Arrest

The break in the case came ten months after the initial crime, thanks to the vigilance of WDFW Officer McOmber.

McOmber encountered Pratt near the original crime scene after Pratt had maliciously cut open a gate to illegally access the area.

Despite being a convicted felon who is legally barred from possessing firearms, Pratt was found carrying two weapons.

WDFW Police later confirmed that one of those firearms was the exact rifle used in the elk slaughter. Through subsequent interviews and investigation, Officer McOmber firmly established Pratt as the individual responsible for the spree killings.

Pratt’s 116-month sentence will be served concurrently across his three convictions.