Colorado Parks and Wildlife is turning to the public in search of information that will identify the person responsible for the illegal killing of a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep off of Saguache County Road 38FF in the Cabin Draw area along Middle Creek.
A report of a bighorn ram that had been shot and left 200 yards off of CR 38FF in Sheep Hunting Unit 10 came in at around 1:20pm on November 11th, 2025, with District Wildlife Managers William Miedema and Cait Philpott-Jones responding. Upon arrival, they found a Rocky Mountain bighorn ram that had been shot once in the guts with an entry wound on the animal’s right side and an exit wound on the left.
With assistance from a CPW K-9 officer, Miedema and Philpott-Jones were able to determine that the ram had been shot earlier that same day in the same area.
“This bighorn was shot and left there with nothing removed from it. There is a single bighorn ram hunting license available in S-10 and neighboring S-55, but my legal hunter for this area had already harvested a ram this year and the season dates were Sept. 2 through Oct. 2.” – William Miedema
The willful destruction of a big-game animal is a felony in Colorado, with potential punishments including lifetime suspension of hunting and fishing privileges and convictions resulting in fines and jail time. The illegal take of a bighorn sheep can result in fines up to $100,000.
“The sheep was left there to rot and was spoiled by the time we got there, so we were unable to salvage and donate the meat. This is wanton waste. If somebody saw something or has any information that could help in this investigation, please reach out to help us protect our wildlife resources in our state.” – William Miedema
Anyone with information regarding the responsible parties in this illegal bighorn sheep killing are asked to contact Miedema at 719-850-6364 or william.miedema@state.co.us. Those who wish to provide anonymous information can contact Operation Game Thief (OGT) by phone at 877-265-6648 or by email at game.thief@state.co.us.
