A Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep found shot and killed in Saguache County has prompted Colorado Parks and Wildlife to seek the public’s assistance in identifying who illegally killed the animal.
District wildlife managers William Miedema and Cait Philpott-Jones responded to a report of a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep that had been shot and killed near County Road 38FF in the Cabin Draw area along Middle Creek.
Miedema and Philpott-Jones found a ram that had been shot once “in the guts” with an entry wound on the animal’s right side and an exit wound on the left. Assisted by a CPW K-9 officer in the investigation, Miedema and Philpott-Jones determined the ram had been shot earlier that same day.
“This bighorn was shot and left there with nothing removed from it,” Miedema said. “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.”
Willful destruction of a big-game animal is a felony in Colorado and can result in a lifetime suspension of hunting and fishing privileges. Convictions could result in fines and jail time, depending on the charges. The illegal take of a bighorn sheep is punishable up to a $100,000 fine.
Miedema said the ram had a half-curl of its horns. Additional fines could exceed $25,000 for the illegal take of a bighorn ram with a half-curl or more.
“The sheep was left there to rot and was spoiled by the time we got there, so we were unable to salvage and donate the meat,” Miedema said. “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.”
CPW is asking the public for any information regarding those responsible for the killing of this bighorn sheep. Miedema can be reached at 719-850-6364 or william.miedema@state.co.us.
To provide information anonymously, the public can contact Operation Game Thief (OGT) by phone at 877-265-6648 or by email at game.thief@state.co.us.
