TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Wildlife officers with Colorado Parks and Wildlife are looking for a person of interest after someone shot a moose with an arrow last fall in Teller County and left it to die.
According to a release, someone called in a dead bull moose on Sept. 18, 2021, that was found between Forest Service Roads 363 and 362. The caller led three wildlife officers to the scene.
After investigating, officers believe a suspected poacher shot the moose with an arrow and then tried removing the moose’s head. Eventually, the suspect tried to hide the carcass with tree branches and sticks. Normally, someone who went through the proper process and obtained a hunting license would put a carcass tag on the kill, per CPW.
Thankfully, the person who called this in had a game camera in the area, which helped investigators get images of a person of interest and pinpointed the time when the moose was killed.
“This is poaching and it’s illegal and we want to catch the person who did this,” said assistant area wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak region Travis Sauder. “This moose was treated unethically and that is something we take very seriously.”
The game camera captured the image of an archer in the area on the morning of Sept. 16. Sauder said they are only calling the individual a person of interest at this point of the investigation.
The suspect could face misdemeanor charges, including harassment of wildlife, hunting big game without a license, illegal taking of wildlife and reckless endangerment.
Anyone with information about this kill is encouraged to reach out to the CPW Southeast Regional office at 719-227-5200.