By Annette Cary March 11, 2026 6:15 AM Gift Article Key Takeaways AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom. A Washington state man with a history over nearly two decades of animal abuse and illegal hunting in the Pacific Northwest was ordered to prison for poaching. Ronald Livermore of Okanogan County was sentenced to more than three years after pleading guilty to poaching and gun violations.
Livermore, who is in his late 70s, recklessly fired rifles into the woods at the night, stockpiled homemade guns in violation of a court order and illegally hunted with small-caliber weapons that were not humane for hunting, according to the Office of Attorney General. His latest sentence of three years and 7 months reflected his significant criminal history and the severity of the offenses he committed in the Washington case, according to the AG. Due to his animal abuse conviction in Oregon, he was banned from possessing guns in Washington.
The Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife caught Livermore hunting with a gun in 2023 and again in 2024, according to the department. He was driving in the middle of the night in Sinlahekin Wildlife Area, which is south of the Canadian border and north of Omak, while using a spotlight, according to the Attorney General’s Office. He was shooting into the woods whenever he saw something he thought might be an animal. He pleaded not guilty to charges related to that incident and was released to home confinement with ankle monitoring.
The case was still pending when Fish and Wildlife officers found a deer near his property that had been paralyzed after being shot in the spine with a small-caliber bullet, according to the AG. Officers obtained a search warrant and discovered homemade firearms in a secret compartment in his bathroom. They were made of materials that included umbrella handles, canes and PVC pipe, but fired accurately. Officers also found an additional deer that had been shot and evidence that he was baiting deer to come to his porch, where he would shoot them, according to the AG. Fish and Wildlife officers conducted night patrols and increased their presence in the back country to discover the illegal activity in the case, the agency said in a statement. It pointed out that Fish and Wildlife areas are often conducting patrols in areas where no other law enforcement is nearby or available. “Washington’s hunting laws maintain opportunities for hunters while ensuring that hunting is as safe, ethical and sustainable as possible,” said Washington Attorney General Nick Brown in a statement.
“Cases like these remind us why these laws exist.” “We hope this will deter future illegal activities, sending a clear message that violating fish and wildlife laws may land you in jail for a very long time,” said the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife Police. Livermore pleaded guilty to first-degree unlawful hunting of big game; first-degree unlawful hunting of big game while armed with a firearm; four counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm; and one count of unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle. Oregon cases The Oregon cases against Livermore included a 2008 conviction on multiple counts of violating wildlife laws and unlawful possession of a silencer. Northwest Sportsman Magazine, relying on a KTVZ report, said that most of the deer he shot in that case were pregnant, and he was sentenced to more than a year in jail. Livermore was convicted again in 2016 in Oregon for illegal possession of a gun or silencer and animal abuse.
Northwest Sportsman Magazine reported that he served three years in jail in that case. Poaching often goes undetected, said the Washington state Fish and Wildlife Department Police. The agency asks that anyone who believes they have witnessed a crime or located evidence of illegal activity call WDFW Enforcement at 877-933-9847 or fill out an online form at wdfw.wa.gov/about/enforcement/report. Tips and photos also may be sent anonymously by texting a third-party operating system at TIP411 (847411) and entering WDFWTIP, followed by a space and then your report.
Read more at: https://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/outdoors/article315004522.html#storylink=cpy