Colorado Parks & Wildlife said Thursday that officers used a game camera to prove a Salida man was illegally using bait to lure and kill bears in a remote spot on Table Mountain in rural Fremont County.
Ronald Wilkins pleaded guilty to illegal bating in January and received a fine of $1,400, a 180-day jail sentence and a five-year ban from hunting.
CPW officers Bob Carochi and Zach Holder found Wilkin's bait site last September following a tip from a confidential informant.
The site included dog food, honey and a salmon filet taped to a tree, as well as a game camera, CPW said.
State law makes it illegal to bait any animal for hunting.
The officers removed the memory card from the digital camera and used the photos to learn when the bait site had been put up. They also put up their own game camera overlooking the illegal site, according to CPW.
Officers then looked through bear harvest forms from the area and discovered that Wilkins had harvested bears in 2011, 2014 and 2015.
They returned to the illegal bait site area and road ATVs toward the site, where they encountered Wilkins dressed in camouflage and riding an ATV. Wilkins said he was hunting bears in the area, and he headed away from the officers on the trail, away from the bait site.
The officers then returned to the illegal bait site three more times. When Wilkins, on Sept. 28, went to CPW's Salida service center to present the hide and head of his bear for mandatory inspection, the officers returned to the bait site where they found the bear carcass and conducted an investigation.
On Oct. 5, Wilkins admitted baiting the bear even though he knew it was illegal and later signed a handwritten confession, CPW said. He received a summons Dec. 15 for illegally baiting a bear and unlawful possession of wildlife and later pleaded guilty to the illegal baiting charge.
"This case is a great example of the work our wildlife officers do on a daily basis,” Aragon said. “We pride ourselves on our law enforcement work. And it shows our commitment to stopping poachers."
Aragon said the initial tip in this case was critical in helping CPW officers investigate the situation.
"We depend on the timely reporting of suspicious activity by the public,” Aragon said. “We have a limited staff and we can’t be everywhere. It’s critical we get the public’s help in stopping crimes against wildlife. When people call, we absolutely respond."
Anyone who has information about a possible crime against wildlife is encouraged to call CPW or report it anonymously to Operation Game Thief, a CPW program that rewards citizens who turn in poachers. Witnesses can reach Operation Game Thief several ways including by 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.
