Colorado Parks and Wildlife is seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspected moose poacher.
Just this past September CPW officers received a phone call about a dead bull moose in northern Teller County. Unknown to the poacher he was caught on camera.
When the three game officers arrived, they were led to the moose carcass by the caller. As a result of their investigation, it was determined that the bull was poached by an archery hunter. The suspected poacher had even attempted to hide the carcass by covering it with tree branches.
Thankfully the individual that reported the incident also has a trail camera set up in the area. Officers were able to take the evidence from this camera and are now asking for the public’s help.
“This is poaching and it’s illegal and we want to catch the person who did this. This moose was treated unethically and that is something we take very seriously. But we need the public’s help catching whoever did this.” – Travis Sauder, Wildlife Manager
Charges for an incident like this can include harassment of wildlife, hunting without a license, illegal taking of wildlife, reckless endangerment, and others. In reality, if convicted the individual can face fines anywhere from $750 to $13,000 and six months in jail.
Anyone with any information about this poaching incident is encouraged to contact CPW at its Southeast Regional office at 719-227-5200. Likewise, any wildlife violations need to be taken seriously and reported. For Colorado residents, you can contact Operation Game Thief at 877-265-6648.
In December of last year, another moose was poached near Denver. To read that article, you can go here. To see how other states are tackling poaching issues check out these articles here and here.
