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DEBEQUE, Colorado — Three energy companies are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of whoever poached a bighorn sheep ram north of DeBeque.
The ram's carcass was found on Oct. 30, on land owned by the Chevron Oil Co., where a poacher had left it lying intact.
Chevron has joined with the Williams and EnCana companies to put up the reward money, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife has added $1,000 through its Operation Game Thief.
According to the DOW, the sheep was a quarter-curl ram that most likely was shot between Oct. 25 and Oct. 27, as indicated by people living in the area and evidence collected at the scene, in the Kimball Creek drainage.
The animal reportedly was killed by a single shot to the neck, and the poacher made no attempt to take the meat from the carcass, the head or the horns, the DOW stated.
“This is the worst kind of poaching case,” said Albert Romero, district wildlife manager for the DeBeque district. “It appears that someone just shot and killed this animal for no reason at all.”
The ram, which was part of the DeBeque Canyon bighorn sheep herd, had recently wandered into the Kimball Creek area west of Roan Creek Road (Garfield County Road 204).
It was seen frequently and photographed by area residents and energy workers who travel the road up Kimball Creek. Rocky Mountain bighorns are the official state animal of Colorado.
Criminal charges in this case could include trespassing, illegal possession of wildlife, waste, felony willful destruction, and hunting in a closed unit, according to the DOW, which could carry penalties of up to five years in jail and fines of more than $100,000.
Upon conviction, the poacher also would face suspension of their hunting privileges in Colorado and 30 other states.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Operation Game Thief at (877) 265-6648.
Callers wishing to remain anonymous can qualify for up to $1,000 in reward funds. Tipsters must be willing to testify, however, to qualify for energy company reward funds or TIPS big-game licenses.
The ram's carcass was found on Oct. 30, on land owned by the Chevron Oil Co., where a poacher had left it lying intact.
Chevron has joined with the Williams and EnCana companies to put up the reward money, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife has added $1,000 through its Operation Game Thief.
According to the DOW, the sheep was a quarter-curl ram that most likely was shot between Oct. 25 and Oct. 27, as indicated by people living in the area and evidence collected at the scene, in the Kimball Creek drainage.
The animal reportedly was killed by a single shot to the neck, and the poacher made no attempt to take the meat from the carcass, the head or the horns, the DOW stated.
“This is the worst kind of poaching case,” said Albert Romero, district wildlife manager for the DeBeque district. “It appears that someone just shot and killed this animal for no reason at all.”
The ram, which was part of the DeBeque Canyon bighorn sheep herd, had recently wandered into the Kimball Creek area west of Roan Creek Road (Garfield County Road 204).
It was seen frequently and photographed by area residents and energy workers who travel the road up Kimball Creek. Rocky Mountain bighorns are the official state animal of Colorado.
Criminal charges in this case could include trespassing, illegal possession of wildlife, waste, felony willful destruction, and hunting in a closed unit, according to the DOW, which could carry penalties of up to five years in jail and fines of more than $100,000.
Upon conviction, the poacher also would face suspension of their hunting privileges in Colorado and 30 other states.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Operation Game Thief at (877) 265-6648.
Callers wishing to remain anonymous can qualify for up to $1,000 in reward funds. Tipsters must be willing to testify, however, to qualify for energy company reward funds or TIPS big-game licenses.
