'Left to waste': Wildlife officers investigating 8 deer and elk killed in San Miguel County
Colorado Parks and Wildlife investigators are asking for the public's help in locating the people responsible for a rash of suspected poaching incidents earlier this month. Eight deer and elk were killed within two and a half weeks and the carcasses left behind.
Five of the animals were killed within walking distance of roads, according to a CPW press release.
"All of these animals were found shot and left to waste," CPW Area Wildlife Manager Rachel Sralla stated in the press release. "This is an egregious violation of Colorado's laws surrounding hunting and fishing, which require hunters to prepare game meat for human consumption."
The incidents occurred inside the boundaries of CPW's Game Management Unit 70. GMU 70 includes portions of San Miguel, Dolores and Montrose counties. It consists of areas around Telluride and Mt. Sneffels to the east, running along County Highway 62, Wrights Mesa and Paradox Valley on its north side, and paralleling Disappointment Creek and Disappointment Valley on its southern boundary. It extends west to the Colorado-Utah state line. On Oct. 30, CPW investigators looked into the suspected poaching of a small mule deer buck that was shot in the higher elevations of Dry Creek Basin and left behind. They were approached by hunters who had found another buck less than a mile away.
CPW District Wildlife Manager Mark Caddy stated in the press release that there was no apparent reason an ethical hunter would not have retrieved and tagged these deer and properly harvested the meat.
Another mule deer buck was found Nov. 6 in Dry Creek Basin. It was "within easy walking distance of the road" and believed to have been killed that day. Caddy stated.
That same day, hunters reporting two bull elk had been shot and left on the Dan Noble State Wildlife Area approximately 14 miles southwest of Norwood.
On Nov. 17, hunters reported a deceased spike bull elk left in the Callan Draw area southwest of Norwood. CPW investigators discovered two cow elk which had also been killed nearby.
Investigators estimated the animals were killed a day or two earlier. They also found evidence that the parties who killed the cows initially attempted to retrieve the carcasses but left them behind - and some equipment, too, which was taken into evidence.
"In any activity that people enjoy, most of the time things go well and the participants behave in the appropriate legal, moral and ethical manner," Caddy stated in the press release. "Sometimes, however, there are one or two people who show up and act in a manner that no one inside or outside of the activity can condone. Evidently, these types of individuals showed up in GMU 70 during the recent hunting seasons."
In all cases, hunters discovered the remains and reported them to CPW.
"The initial information on each animal in these cases came from hunters in the field who took the time to call and report that something was going on," Caddy stated. "These ethical hunters are as concerned about this happening as we are."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Operation Game Thief by phone at 877-265-6648 or by email at game.thief@state.co.us. A reward of $1,000 is possible for information leading to an arrest.
11/21/22
Pic1: A spike bull elk that was found shot and left to waste is pictured Nov. 17 in the Callan Draw area southwest of Norwood. Tony Bonacquista/CPW photos
Pic2: A bull elk that was shot and left to waste is pictured Nov. 6 at the Dan Noble State Wildlife Area.
Pic3: A mule deer buck that was shot and left to waste is pictured Oct. 30 in Dry Creek Basin.
