WALSENBURG — Colorado Parks and Wildlife is asking for the public's help in identifying the person(s) who shot multiple deer with blow darts in Walsenburg.
Several deer have been seriously injured.
According to CPW, Wildlife Officer Travis Sauder received a call on April 1 about multiple deer near the 100 block of East Cedar in Walsenburg with darts stuck in them.
He found three injured deer. One was an adult doe with a dart through the foreleg, another was a young doe with a dart in the nose, and the third was a young doe with a dart in the right side of the neck, just below the jaw.
Sauder was able to sedate two of the deer and remove the darts. CPW said the doe with a dart in her neck ran off but Sauder is still looking for her.
“Whoever did this was intentionally inflicting pain and causing these animals to suffer,” Sauder said. “This is illegal harassment of wildlife. It’s something we take very seriously. We need the public’s help catching whoever is doing this. Someone knows who did this and can make sure they are held accountable for their cruel actions.”
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, CPW said.
Convictions could result in fines ranging from $750 to $3,000 and up to 6 months in jail, depending on the charge.
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Wildlife Officer Sauder directly at 719-989-1027.
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. Rewards are available if the information leads to an arrest or citation.
Visit the CPW website for more information about Operation Game Thief.
