Four Trophy Bull Elk Illegally Killed, Colorado Poachers Could Face Lifetime Bans ["left to rot"]

Cowboy State Daily ^ | October 16, 2025 | Mark Heinz

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

How do you ban poaching?

[montag813]

Jail.time for this

[larrytown]

[pierrem15]

The headline is misleading and the story has so little detail it's hard to understand what was going on.

Four elk were shot. One was wounded and got away. The head was taken from one, so that was obviously a "trophy" kill. Some meat was taken from another. Only one was shot, killed, and left to rot.

Was this one person or group? All at roughly the same time? Not known; or, the authorities aren't saying.

Sounds like someone will show up at a taxidermist with a big elk mount which should raise some questions, so we'll probably find out in the end.

[catnipman]

In Colorado, a hunter must have a valid hunting license for the species taken and provide the taxidermist with documentation of the legal harvest. Taxidermists are required to keep these records in case of an inspection by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Sad. I remember many people over my 78 years who shot deer or elk and walked away just to say they shot something.

[Red Badger]

That is a total waste of food and senseless taking of a life.............

[Fury]

They’re trash.

Probably learned that behavior as a result of upbringing.

[Red Badger]

Or lack thereof...................

[Chainmail]

I hunted, including hunting in New Mexico when I was based there. While I was hunting up north, near the Colorado border, I saw a blood trail in the snow and followed it for several miles. Eventually I found a cow elk dead at the end of that trail. Some hunter shot that elk - despite it being bull season only - and then left it to die.

Really angered me and I guided a Fish and Game officer to that spot. He told me that we got lots of hunters from out of state who shot anything that moved and it was likely one of them.

I was very careful not be one of their victims too.

[coloradan]

Poaching, like murder, is already banned by law. That doesn’t magically make it not happen, it just gives the State cause to arrest and punish those who do it. A better question might be how does one prevent poaching; the law is evidently not enough of a deterrent.

[Red Badger]

[FrankRizzo890]

That ain’t right! That’s some GOOOOD eatin’ right there!

[packrat35]

How can do this and not harvest the meat? Such a waste...

[pingman]

The Grizzly population appreciates a freebie now and then.

[packrat35]

I’m sure that is true, but to just leave the whole thing out there is a waste. Why shoot it if you aren’t going to harvest a trophy or the meat?

These aren’t hunters, they are idiots.

[Glennb51]

It would help, if when the cases go to trial, the judges were more sympathetic to the waste and fined the perpetrators with a minimum five figure fine, coupled with at least 30 days in jail.

Poaching cases are tough because it takes a lot of time. Sometimes DNA is necessary.

Depending on the case, a large reward for info would help.

Thieves hang out with thieves. Their sense of loyalty diminishes the larger the reward.

[pierrem15]

That's what I thought- I think there was even a Federal case brought against an out of state taxidermist for mounting some illegally taken deer a few years ago.

I would assume out of state hunters in this case who hauled the head and meat out of state. Hard to tell.

[thesearethetimes...]

Following, hopeful for the criminals to be found.
So much waste, for no reason.

Tatt