Colorado Parks and Wildlife is asking the public for help in solving a case after a bighorn ram was found to be illegally killed and left to rot on November 11.

According to a report from the agency, the killing took place in the Cabin Draw area along Middle Creek in Saguache County, about 200 yards off of Saguache County Road 38FF. It’s believed that the ram was shot in the gut earlier in the day on November 11, found with an entry wound on its right side and an exit wound on its left.

“This bighorn was shot and left there with nothing removed from it,” said District Wildlife Manager William Miedema. “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.” The game management unit where the killing took place was GMU 681.

Per the press release on the matter, “willful destruction of a big-game animal is a felony in Colorado and can result in a lifetime suspension of hunting and fishing privileges. Convictions could result in fines and jail time, depending on the charges. The illegal take of a bighorn sheep is punishable up to a $100,000 fine.”

It’s also worth noting that additional fines in excess of $25,000 related to the killing could apply given that the ram had a half-curl of its horns. The illegal take of a ram with a half-curl or more can mean more severe punishment.

“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,” Miedema said. “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.”

Anyone with information related to the case can contact Miedema at 719-850-6364. Anonymous tips can be submitted via Operation Game Thief at 877-265-6648. Tips provided through Operation Game Thief can sometimes result in monetary rewards or rewarding of preference points or hunting licenses. Whether or not those rewards apply to this specific case was not explicitly addressed.

“Poaching is a serious and costly crime,” reads the press release on the matter. “It robs legitimate sportspeople of game and fish, robs businesses and taxpayers of revenues generated by hunting and fishing, and robs all of us of a valuable natural resource that makes Colorado special: our wildlife.”