DIVIDE, COLORADO — A man who illegally killed a moose in Sept. 2021 in Divide pleaded guilty, according to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
According to CPW, the suspected poacher was confronted at his job in Kansas regarding the incident. The poacher, 33-year-old Steven Samuelson of Oakley, Kansas, pleaded guilty in the Teller County District Court on the below charges:
- willful destruction of wildlife
- hunting without a proper and valid big game license
- aggravated illegal possession of wildlife
- failure to prepare wildlife for human consumption
- hunting in a careless manner
- illegal take of wildlife
Samuelson received a sentence of two years in jail. If he meets the terms of a plea agreement, he will instead face two years of unsupervised probation. Samuelson was also fined approximately $20,000 and surrendered the bow he used to poach the moose.
“As the agency responsible for perpetuating the wildlife resources of the state, Colorado Parks and Wildlife will not tolerate poaching,” said Tim Kroening, Area Wildlife Manager for the Pikes Peak region. “Our officers are determined to stop people like Mr. Samuelson who think they can simply go kill any animal they like. I want to make it clear: Mr. Samuelson was not a hunter. He is a poacher.”
Officers who were assigned to this investigation in 2021 collected physical evidence from the site, including photos and video that pinpointed the time of the incident and provided photos of the suspect.
“This moose was treated unethically and that is something we take very seriously,” said Officer Travis Sauder, assistant area wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak region. “We are fortunate members of the public share our passion for wildlife and helped us catch the poacher. We rely on honest sportspeople to help us solve these types of cases.”
Office Sauder and Officer Ben Meier drove to Kansas and worked with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks to locate Samuelson. CPW also thanked the public's assistance in finding Samuelson.
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