Aaron Berscheid is a district wildlife officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Aaron covers the ìwildî side of Northeast El Paso County, including Black Forest, Falcon, Peyton and Calhan. He also covers some of Elbert County, north of U.S. Highway 24 and south of State Highway 86, including the towns of Elbert, Kiowa, Ramah, Simla, Matheson and a small portion of the Limon area.
Last month, I thanked you all for your readership. Today, I want to let you know what kind of impacts you can make in the field of wildlife management.†Wildlife officers like me are spread thin. We work hard and cover a lot of ground, but we are not always in the right place at the right time. Often, we need a little help from you.†Recently, we at Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced some major wildlife success stories ó poachers caught, invasive species uncovered and eradicated ó that might not have happened without your help. Each case was brought to our attention by some very attentive residents who share CPWís passion for protecting the wildlife of Colorado.A great example was in September when a concerned citizen phoned our office with a tip that someone had brought feral pigs from Texas and was raising them on a small farm east of Colorado Springs.†Many people may not know much about feral pigs, but they are a huge threat to native wildlife and agriculture in our state.†Feral pigs are invasive, outcompete native wildlife for food and habitat and can spread disease.CPW assembled a team of officers who visited the farm with a search warrant. Thankfully, the landowner cooperated with the investigation and our team confirmed that feral pigs captured in Texas had, indeed, been brought to Colorado and were on the property.†CPW worked with the Colorado Department of Agriculture to have the feral pigs tested for disease. The animals tested positive for pseudorabies.Pseudorabies is a contagious herpes virus that causes reproductive problems, including abortion and stillbirths. The disease also causes respiratory problems and occasional deaths in breeding and finishing hogs. Besides swine, it can spread to cattle, dogs, cats, sheep and goats.The homeowner cooperated with the CPW investigation and was cited for illegally transporting and possessing the prohibited species. Each is a misdemeanor charge and carries a fine and surcharge amount of $137 per animal.In another case, an anonymous tip to Colorado’s Operation Game Thief Hotline led our officers to two Florida hunters who illegally killed mule deer and pronghorn in Lincoln County, near Limon.And thanks to the observant member of the public who reported the poaching, these two men likely will never hunt in Colorado again and would lose their privileges to hunt anywhere in the U.S.The two men were Timothy C. Draper, 33, and Lawrence J. Cowart, 30, both of Bunnell, Florida. Their poaching operation claimed at least three mule deer and six pronghorn in Elbert and Lincoln counties.Draper pleaded guilty in 2018 in Lincoln County Court to a misdemeanor charge of illegal possession of three or more big game animals. Draper was sentenced to two years supervised probation and forfeited all weapons and equipment used in his crime. He also paid a $2,100 game penalty and a total of $4,213 in fines and court costs.Cowart pleaded guilty on Oct. 5, 2018, in Lincoln County Court to willful destruction of wildlife, a class 5 felony.†Then, in February 2020, a CPW Commission hearing examiner ruled that Draper should have his hunting privileges suspended for 20 years while Cowart was issued a lifetime ban.Their convictions were the culmination of a lengthy investigation by CPW officers Ben Meier and Logan Wilkins. A tip from the public led Meier and Wilkins to determine the two suspects were in Colorado working jobs in the energy industry. CPW amassed evidence the men killed many deer and pronghorn ó simply decapitating some and leaving their torsos ó and shipped their heads to a taxidermist in Florida for mounting.CPW worked with Colorado Springs Police Department, the Limon Police Department and the Lincoln County Sheriffís Office in developing the case.†ìThis case is a great example of the work our wildlife officers do on a daily basis,î Frank McGee, then area wildlife manager for the Pikes Peak region, said at the time. ìWe pride ourselves on our law enforcement work. And it shows our commitment to stopping poachers.îThe CPW Commission hearing examiner had some tough words for the two poachers.ìLawrence Cowartís crimes against Coloradoís wildlife were committed intentionally and with complete disregard,î the examiner wrote in his findings.ìMr. Cowart has a history of violating wildlife laws in his home state of Florida and in North Carolina. His most recent wildlife violations in Colorado are considered among the most serious of criminal activity against wildlife, where an animal is killed for its trophy parts and the meat is abandoned to waste.ìGiven his history and escalating criminal behavior, Mr. Cowart is viewed as a threat to Coloradoís wildlife. Although he expressed remorse during his suspension hearing, his repeated criminal actions against wildlife do not reflect this.îAnyone who has information about a possible crime against wildlife is encouraged to call CPW or report it anonymously to Operation Game Thief. Witnesses can reach Operation Game Thief several ways, which include calling toll-free, 1-877-COLO-OGT (or 877-265-6648). Verizon cell phone users can dial #OGT. Or send an email to CPW at game.thief@state.co.us.Callers do not have to reveal their names or testify in court. A $500 reward is offered for information on cases involving big game or endangered species, while $250 is offered for information on turkey and $100 for fishing and small game cases.†A Citizens Committee administers the reward fund, which is maintained by private contributions. The board may approve rewards of up to $1,000 for flagrant cases. Rewards are paid for information that leads to an arrest or a citation being issued. To learn more about Operation Game Thief, visit the CPW website. Poaching incidents can also be reported to our office at 719-227-5200 during normal business hours, or State Patrol Dispatch at 719-544-2424 if it is after hours or an emergency.So thanks to all who care enough about wildlife to report these incidents. We take all reports seriously and follow them up.As always, if youíve got a question, problem or column idea, please email me at aaron.berscheid@state.co.us or call me at 719-227-5231.†I might even answer your question in a future installment of ìWildlife Matters.î
