Elk on high alert.

A Washington man who killed at least five elk and left the animals to waste has received what’s described as a “mental health sentencing alternative,” which involves three years of community custody.

Richard Loren Pratt, 45, of Cosmopolis, also was ordered by an Olympia judge on Friday to pay a $10,000 fine.

Pratt pleaded guilty to unlawful hunting of big game – first degree. The term is used to describe a poaching spree involving three or more animals.

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Pratt, already a convicted felon, also was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm – first degree, and wasting wildlife.

If Pratt violates conditions of his mental-health sentencing alternative, he could face up to 116 months in prison.

Apparently, because of all the variables, prosecutors expected Pratt to receive a prison sentence.

Dan Chadwick, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police Captain, stated in a news release: “We are disappointed the defendant will not be serving any prison time. The Grays Harbor Prosecutor worked hard for the plea agreement which included prison time.”

The case dates to 2023, when WDFW Police received a report from a private timber company employee who discovered “multiple dead elk” on a Grays Harbor County hillside. A necropsy revealed that the elk had been shot with a high-powered rifle.

WDFW Police and the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office received a break in their investigation 10 months later when a WDFW officer encountered Pratt near the scene.

Pratt had broken open a gate to the property and was found to be, as a convicted felon, in illegal possession of two firearms. WDFW Police later determined that one of the firearms was the rifle used to shoot the cow elk.

“We solved this case thanks to the tenacity of Officer McOmber and the contact he made with Pratt,” Chadwick said, using only the officer’s last name. “This is just another example of our officers’ commitment to thorough investigations.

“In this case the officer spent months working the investigation, putting all the pieces together, which ultimately concluded in a confession.”

Pratt also had his hunting privileges in Washington suspended for 10 years.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Washington man sentenced for elk killing spree, but is sentence too light?

Reporting by Pete Thomas, For The Win / For The Win

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