Below is a news release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is asking the public for help identifying the person who killed two cow elk at the John Martin Reservoir State Wildlife Area and left them to waste.
CPW officers responded to a call on Dec. 13 about two cow elk that had been shot and left in the southwest portion of the wildlife area in Game Management Unit 146.
Officers found the dead elk in an area east of the Keller tract and west of Rule Creek, between the south bank of the reservoir and the railroad tracks.
Officers believe the elk were shot sometime on Dec. 11-12. While investigating, officers discovered evidence that a third elk had been shot, its carcass cleaned and removed from the same area.
“This is poaching and it’s illegal and we want to catch the person who did this,” said Kevin Mahan, a CPW district wildlife manager for the John Martin Reservoir SWA region. “These elk were treated unethically and that is something we take very seriously.”
Mahan is asking the public to call if they saw anything suspicious that weekend or if they know anyone who harvested an elk in the area recently.
“We would like to hear information on any hunting activity observed on Dec. 11-12 and any vehicles seen in the area,” Mahan said. “Even the smallest detail might be significant.”
To provide information anonymously, the public can contact Operation Game Thief at 877-265-6648, by dialing #OGT from a Verizon cellphone, or by email at [email protected].
Rewards are available if the information leads to an arrest or citation.
For 2020, Remington partnered with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to increase the visibility of poaching incidents in an effort to reduce poaching.
(Photo source: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)