Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Colorado police officer - elk poacher?

We get the Denver news here. A police officer in one of the Denver burbs, warned a couple citizens that they might hear some gunfire and took out a nice (I think) 5 x 6 bull that had been in the neighborhood. He told folks it was likely injured and needed to be put down.

A newscast photo showed the officer (in uniform) in the classic trophy pose with the bull. Subsequently a private rig showed up to transport the elk, and those involved were overheard discussing the need for a road kill tag to facilitate transportation. Local residents were not convinced any of the incident was on the up and up and turned him in. We'll see. Obviously not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

$1,100 out of season, $1,100 no license, $1,000 illegal possession, $10,000 Samson surcharge for that 6th point, and maybe his job. We'll see what happens though.

That happened in BOULDER of all places!!??

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingn...ed-boulder-police-admit-officer-shot-elk

Most recent thing I could find.
Seems to be a lot of unanswered questions.

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2013/01/03/boulder-police-officer-elk-boulder-new-years-day/

Denver Post: Mystery Solved: Boulder Cops under investigation in Elk Shooting

Very troubling. If this is as bad as the news reports would suggest ...

The facts are a little blurry but this elk had been a well-known local for 3 years or so.

There may have been two police and one sheriff deputy involved in haulling the thing off.

If it was a poaching case they deserve prosecution to the full extent plus loss of their jobs.

It's Boulder. Do NOT try to understand it. You'll only hurt yourself in the process.

Plus, hunting an elk with a shotgun. I doubt he had a slug in the gun.

And use of artificial lights too I'd imagine, which is a lit worse than the $50 for buckshot

Copy of email I have sent to CO CPW and reply.

Hello Mr. XXX

Thank you for your email and thank you for your comments.

We appreciate your interest in this issue. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is taking this issue seriously. We cannot comment on investigations while they are in process. When the investigation is complete, we will provide the result of the investigation. We appreciate your patience.

Thank you,
Bob
Bob Fisher
Colorado Parks And Wildlife

I wish to convey my total disapproval on the elk killing by a cop in
Boulder. That elk had been around for 3 years and caused no appreciable
harm.The cop did not call it in first, did not report his fitearm being
discharged, killed the elk with a shotgun( violation of hunting regs.) did
not notify the CPW, and an off duty cop took the carcass for his own use.

This is just plain poaching, plain and simple. I hope the CPW investigates
this fully and if all reports are true, they fine the shooter and off duty
cop to the full extent of the law as any other citizen would be, and
particularly enforce the Samson Statute.

Lets' be sure he does not get a simple slap on the wrist repreman just
becasue he is a cop. At the very least,both should lose thier jobs and be
fined heavily.

As an L.E.O. I hope they follow the law and charge him with whatever they have probable cause to charge him with.

We are held to a higher standard, and its a responsibility we all take on voluntarily. If you cant handle it, theres no room for you in this line of work.

As for me, even with a legit "hit by car" incident, Im still contacting a supervisor before i put it down. Its just common sense.

Just $50 for using an illegal weapon? I thought it would be more. If someone uses a rifle in muzzleloader season it's just a $50 fine?

Do you think it's the first time he did it or the first time he got caught

Hard to imagine it was the first time. He did it in plain sight this time. He was getting cocky he wouldn't get caught.

You left out discharching a weapon in city limits +???

In NY state you also loose your gun, car and hunting license

Hunt with yes, kill with then it's illegal possession

Or if using an inappropriate weapon it's hunting without a proper and valid license, at which point it's twice the cost if the most expensive license,
So far elk it's $1,100

That must be the fine for a resident. It must be $11,000 for a non-resident.

+1 Same in KY...