Colorado Parks and Wildlife looking for poacher who killed bighorn sheep in Saguache County

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is asking for help to identify a suspect who illegally killed a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in Saguache County.

According to CPW, the sheep was shot once in the abdomen and left to rot 200 yards off CR 38FF in the Cabin Draw area along Middle Creek. District wildlife managers received a report alerting them to the poaching on Nov. 11. They determined the sheep was killed earlier that day.

"This bighorn was shot and left there with nothing removed from it," said District Wildlife Manager William Miedema. "There is a single bighorn ram hunting license available in S-10 and neighboring S-55, but my legal hunter for this area had already harvested a ram this year, and the season dates were Sept. 2 through Oct. 2."

CPW said that, in Colorado, illegal take of a bighorn sheep is a felony and is punishable with up to a $100,000 fine. It can also result in a lifetime suspension of hunting and fishing privileges. Miedema said that the sheep had a half-curl to its horns, which could result in additional fines in excess of $25,000.

Miedema asked anyone with information on who is responsible to contact him at (719) 850-6364 or make an anonymous report to Operation Game Thief.

"This is wanton waste. If somebody saw something or has any information that could help in this investigation, please reach out to help us protect our wildlife resources in our state," Miedema requested.