Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Poacher caught

Some of you might know this guy.

3/6/2007
Division of Wildlife
Antler fever drove Colorado resident to poaching

Jeff Coldwell, 43, of Firestone, Colorado recently pled guilty to poaching charges

In May of 2006, Jeff Coldwell pleaded guilty to illegal possession of three or more deer in Weld County. In addition to the loss of the illegally taken wildlife, he forfeited his muzzleloader and the court fined him $7,500 with 36 months probation. Coldwell also pled guilty to abuse of public records in Adams County and received a 2 year deferred sentence for false statements made regarding a bear license. The courts donated a portion of his fine to Operation Game Thief.

The abuses also led the Colorado Wildlife Commission to suspend Coldwell's privilege of applying for, purchasing, or exercising the benefits conferred by all DOW licenses for 20 years. His license privileges are also suspended in 22 Wildlife Violator Compact states.

It all began with a hunch. Wildlife Officer Windi Padia contacted Jeff Coldwell while on ATV patrol in Game Management Unit 20 during the 2005 muzzleloader season. Coldwell had a muzzleloader, but no hunting license in his possession. Noticing a clump of deer hair near his truck, Padia inquired further, but Coldwell denied taking a deer. Coldwell was visibly nervous throughout the contact and told Padia he had been hunting with a family member who had a deer license for GMU 18, about seven miles to the west and over the Continental Divide. After checking the records for Coldwell�s license, Officer Padia found that it was valid for GMU 20 only.

Additional Wildlife Officers, Aimee Ryel and John Koehler, were engaged to conduct interviews in Coldwell's hometown, whereupon he admitted he had taken a large mule deer buck illegally in GMU 18 and had already transported the cape out of the unit by backpack. Another deer was shot by the licensed family member and both animals were left to rot. Officers hiked to the kill site and located the trophy-quality skinned buck, as well as a quartered buck. The meat was only salvageable on one of the animals.

Now, the full arm of the law reached in--a search warrant was obtained for Coldwell's residence yielding evidence that Coldwell used another family member's license to tag a buck in 2000. Padia seized Coldwell�s computer and found further evidence of a wildlife violation--emails from Coldwell showed that he had gone bear hunting in 2005 and finding that people were camped near his hunting spot, promptly told a representative from the DOW that he was not able to go on his bear hunt due to medical issues. Six bear preference points were reinstated to Coldwell based on his statements. This fraudulent activity led Officer Padia to charge him with abuse of public records. After disposition of the case in Adams County, his bear preference points were revoked.

In connection with the case, two members of Jeff Coldwell's family have received citations for wildlife violations and have chosen to pay their fines.

One poaching leads to proof of another

Evidence also seized from Coldwell's computer revealed information from a 2003 Trophy Hunter magazine article depicting Coldwell in Fox Park, also in GMU 18, with a harvested buck. This evidence prompted Officer Padia to obtain another search warrant for his residence. The buck in question was seized and it was determined that Coldwell poached it in 2003 in GMU 18 during muzzleloader season. He did not have a license for GMU 18 that year.

"Transferring licenses, a form of 'party hunting', has severely negative impacts on our wildlife," said Officer Windi Padia. "Hunting opportunities are regulated for a reason: any additional opportunity created by a poacher is one less opportunity for an ethical hunter. Everyone who values our wildlife should know that poaching doesn't pay."

You can help stop poaching. If you see a poaching incident, report it. Poaching is a crime against you, your neighbor, and everyone else in the state of Colorado. Call 1-877-COLO-OGT toll-free or Verizon cell phone users can just dial #OGT. If you'd like, you can e-mail us at game.thiefstate.co.us.

String him up! Good deal!

I think the worst part of that is two family members left two deer to rot. And that in a state where all deer hunting are by draws only, hunters must accumulate enough points many wait several years for their choice. And this guy poaches deer w/o a license and leaves it to rot.

Even with the uncovering of these multiple game violations, this guy had no doubt gotten away with so many more prior to this article being written. A bit like the shoplifter that gets nabbed and says, "I can't believe it, the first time I try it, I get caught....". Right......

Nail these guys and let everyone know the consequences via TV, newspaper, etc. Maybe.....just maybe.....a small portion of the, "so-inclined", will think twice about going there if the punishment is ample enough.

Sadly... guys like these "hurt" us all by taking large, trophy-sized game animals illegally while WE all hunt LEGALLY and struggle to find those "trophy-sized" bucks or bull elk.

Leaving game animals to ROT after shooting them illegally SHOULD really draw major fines, rifle confiscation, vehicle confiscation and even JAIL TIME! Game laws are made to increase our game animal herds and give us all a better chance to score a "trophy" of a life-time, but these guys take all of that away from us with their greedy attitudes and actions!!!

Jus' my 2�.........


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

His license privileges are also suspended in 22 Wildlife Violator Compact states.

First time I ever heard of this program.
Sure would be nice to have a similar program between the Canadian Provinces, as well as the US States.

It used to be cheaper to poach Colorado, than buy a license. I am glad to see the change.

Boys, ain't it sad when you mix up greed, money and game animals.

BCR

Unfortunatly he didn't always have licences before when hunting, so he will most likely continue to poach despite the fact he can't buy them....

I would have thought they would have taken his vehicle.

What a loser. I agree with the above posted...he will continue to hunt because obviously he is an outlaw. He should be sitting in a jail cell.

You can bet they will be keeping an eye on this guy, he has written some articles for Trophy Hunter magazine and runs a hunt scouting business. I don't think he will be poaching anytime soon...

Not enough game wardens in the world to keep an eye on one guy if he has money and will travel to other states...Or even diferent areas where he is not as well known within the state...Lots of guys repeat.....

That guy was a big poster on Monstermuleys.com, he posted under the name "deerking." Funny how many people there defended him. All his buddies were saying his sentence was too harsh.

The guy hunted in any unit he pleased, shot deer on someone else's tag, and left the deer to rot after only taking the antlers and capes. I think his sentence was not harsh enough.

Thats the guy dc223...

Yep---we had a GW killed here in Texas last weekend! I make it my mission to catch and turn in everyone I can! Actually spend as much time if not more watching the south fence line than I do hunting!

Texas Game Warden Killed In Exchange Of Gunfire; Suspect Wounded


(March 17, 2007)�Texas Game Warden Justin Hurst, 34, died Saturday in an exchange of gunfire with a man suspected of illegally hunting from the road.
The shooting came after a pursuit involving Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wardens, Wharton County sheriff�s deputies and Department of Public Safety troopers that started after a warden spotted a man he suspected of illegal hunting.
The man fled and Hurst responded to back-up the first warden.
DPS troopers eventually stopped the man�s vehicle after a lengthy pursuit and shots were exchanged.
Both Hurst and the suspect were struck.
Hurst was flown to Hermann Memorial Hospital in Houston where he was dead on arrival.
The suspect, James Freeman, 26, of Wharton County, was under guard Saturday afternoon at Oak Bend Hospital in Rosenberg.
The DPS said he will be served with a capital murder warrant later in the day.
Texas Rangers are investigating and declined to release further details of the incident.



This guy will fry!!!!

All this over a deer, I hope the guy burns slowly, he deserves nothing less. I like that Texas don't pussyfoot around with criminals like this.

they should of strung him up. the results were a poor choice in my opinion. if you get caught your done for the rest of your life and you are not getting that with 36months of probation. loss of hunting priviledges for sure forever and then time in jail for the offenses or maybe they need to put them to work as game wardens for part of or maybe instead of jail to show them that their wrong doings is what is fueling the problems we have with the peta groups
i would think that maybe that would open their eyes up and if a 2nd offense then jail time no exceptions
rob k

sad thing is Deerking posted some truely magnificent muleys over on MM and had a lot of respect from a lot of people... he lost it allll now! glad they caught him!

Yeah, he was a real "deerking" alright....now he gets to be a "queen" for a little while.