CPW seeks public’s help in locating suspected Teller County moose poacher

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is asking the public for help in identifying the person who arrowed a moose last fall in Teller County and left the animal to die.

CPW released photos of a person of interest in the case, seen below. The photos were taken by game cameras at the scene where the moose died.

According to CPW, the Southeast Region Office in Colorado Springs received a call about a dead moose on Sept. 18, 2021. The moose was found between Forest Service Roads 363 and 362 in the Phantom Creek drainage, north of Divide in northern Teller County.

CPW officers responded and their investigation concluded that a suspected poacher had shot the moose with an arrow and then attempted to remove its head. The suspect ultimately tried to hide the carcass with branches and sticks, CPW said.

Officers were able to collect photos and video from the reporting party's game cameras that were in the area. From these, they were able to generally pinpoint the time of the poaching incident.

One of the game cameras at the site captured the bull moose alive in the vicinity on the morning of Sept. 16 and then captured an unidentified archery hunter about 5 hours later, CPW said.

“This is poaching and it’s illegal and we want to catch the person who did this,” said Sauder, assistant area wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak region. “This moose was treated unethically and that is something we take very seriously. But we need the public’s help catching whoever did this," CPW Officer Travis Sauder said.

Anyone illegally injuring or killing wildlife could face misdemeanor charges including harassment of wildlife, hunting big game without a license, illegal taking of wildlife, and reckless endangerment among other charges.

Convictions could result in fines and surcharges ranging from $750 to $13,000 and up to 6 months in jail, depending on the charge.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact CPW at its Southeast Regional office at 719-227-5200. 

To provide information anonymously about a wildlife violation, the public can contact Operation Game Thief at 877-265-6648, by dialing #OGT from a Verizon cellphone, or by email at game.thief@state.co.us.