DIVIDE, Colo. (KKTV) – Two years after a poacher shot a moose and left it to die, Colorado Parks and Wildlife says finally a conviction has been secured within the heinous case.
“This moose was handled unethically and that’s one thing we take very significantly,” mentioned Travis Sauder, the assistant space wildlife supervisor for the Pikes Peak area, who was a part of the preliminary investigation.
In September 2021, a moose was stalked within the woods in northern Teller County earlier than being shot with an arrow. The animal’s stays had been later found between Forest Service roads 363 and 362 within the Phantom Creek drainage close to Divide, and CPW was known as. Their investigation would conclude that the moose’s killer had tried to chop off its head, and failing that, coated the animal with tree branches and sticks in an try to cover it.
“I need to make it clear: [he] was not a hunter. He’s a poacher,” mentioned Tim Kroening, the realm wildlife supervisor for the Pikes Peak area.
Wildlife officers received a giant break within the case after going by means of recreation cameras within the space: A person wearing camo and carrying a bow and arrow had been clearly caught on video. CPW launched the photographs final fall and requested the general public for assist figuring out him.
“We depend on trustworthy sportspeople to assist us clear up most of these circumstances,” Sauder mentioned.
And assist they did: by means of quite a few ideas from outraged residents, together with what CPW known as good quaint police work, the person on digital camera was recognized as 33-year-old Kansasan Steven Samuelson.
“The investigation reached a climax when Sauder and [CPW Officer Ben] Meier drove to Kansas the place they labored with members of the Kansas Division of Wildlife and Parks to confront Samuelson at work and execute a search warrant to collect worthwhile proof at Samuelson’s Oakley residence,” CPW mentioned.
Wednesday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife introduced Samuelson had pleaded responsible to felony fees of willful destruction of wildlife, in addition to misdemeanor fees of looking with out a correct and legitimate massive recreation license, aggravated unlawful possession of wildlife, failure to arrange wildlife for human consumption, looking in a careless method and unlawful take of wildlife.
For these crimes, Samuelson was fined practically $20,000 and given 65 factors towards his looking license. In Colorado, it solely takes 20 factors for a looking license to be suspended.
Samuelson was additionally sentenced to 2 years in jail, however CPW says it was deferred sentence, that means jail time could be waived if he meets the phrases of the plea settlement.
“We’re lucky members of the general public share our ardour for wildlife and helped us catch the poacher,” Sauder mentioned.
When you’ve got information of a criminal offense towards state wildlife, you’re requested to contact to CPW or report it anonymously to Operation Recreation Thief at 1-877-COLO-OGT or recreation.thief@state.co.us.
Breaking Information:
Should you illegally kill Colorado #wildlife, @COParksWildlife officers will observe you down and hand you a warrant, even in the event you dwell out-of-state.
Ask Steven Samuelson, of Oakley, Kan.
Because of the general public for an enormous help.
Here is the small print.https://t.co/i5eSpFOCWK pic.twitter.com/uVjF6V7PoU — CPW SE Area (@CPW_SE) July 19, 2023
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