Charges of aggravated cruelty to animals are being considered in the killing of 32 bison near Hartsel.
Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener said that his office has determined that the bison were owned by ranchers Monte and Tracy Downare and had wandered off their property.
Last week, a group of hunters who believed they had permission, began shooting and killing the animals.
“This is quite a tragedy, and we are certainly going to look at the entire situation to see what criminal charges could be involved,” said Wegener.
Several of the dead bison were found on the Hawn Ranch, near the Downare’s ranch but not adjacent. Authorities still have not located or spoken with the owner and caretaker of Hawn Ranch.
Wegener said that the bison were shot on the Hawn Ranch, other private property and Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service lands.
He said investigators from four agencies are currently involved in the probe: the sheriff’s department, the state brand inspector, the state veterinarian and the district attorney for the 11th Judicial District.
Aggravated cruelty to animals is a Class 6 felony and is being looked at because of the way the carcasses were abandoned, said the sheriff.
A group of 10 hunters — who Wegener said probably would be better described as “shooters” — killed the bison over a period of perhaps several days, the sheriff said. He said the camp of the hunters has been located.
On Wednesday, they were released after being questioned. They claimed that they had permission to kill the bison. Wegener declined to say who granted the hunters permission and whether they had the authority to do that.
The carcasses are being removed today. In addition, investigators are meeting with the Downares.
“We are going to get with the owners and figure out what the value of the bison were,” Wegener said.
Katie O’Brien, the 11th Judicial District prosecutor in Fairplay, said investigators have described a scene of carnage.
“I know it wasn’t pretty,” said O’Brien.
Wegener said the first information about something unusual happening came about 11:54 a.m. Wednesday, when there were reports of “some activity regarding hunting going on.”
At that point, his deputies began searching the area by vehicle, snowshoe and snowmobile, with the subsequent discovery of the dead animals.
O’Brien said that the actions of both the hunters and the landowners are being examined.
“I don’t know if the hunters had permission. If permission was given, I don’t know if it was his (the landowner’s) permission to give,” said O’Brien.
Tracy Downare said today that the sheriff’s department had asked the ranch not to comment because a criminal investigation is underway.
Rick Wahlert, brand commissioner for Colorado, said the inspector assigned to the South Park area is helping the Park County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation.
Wahlert said that neither the ranchers who sanction hunts of their bison herds nor the hunters need permits because the hunts don’t fall under the jurisdiction of the Division of Wildlife or the Department of Agriculture, under which the brand inspection division works.
The brand division is designed to prevent rustling or theft of livestock, either by movement or butchering, said Wahlert.
Sheriff Wegener described the area where the bison were shot as being a region of few trees and rolling hills. The area is covered with deep snow. South Park has had bison herds for many years.
Dave Hale, operations manager of the Hartsel Springs Ranch, which has more than 100 head of bison, said none of his herd was involved.
He said that in the past, both the Hartsel Springs Ranch and the Downare Ranch have had sanctioned bison hunts but that Hartsel Springs Ranch is getting out of the bison business and no longer has the hunts.
Hale said that he couldn’t imagine any rancher sanctioning the killing of 30 bison, saying it would be unheard of.
“We are stewards of the land, and, in that capacity, we take care of wildlife,” Hale said. “It’s a hard enough life without somebody coming up and taking it away from us.
“For bison ranchers, this is their livelihood. And this takes food out of their mouths,” Hale added.
Dave Carter, executive director of the Denver-based National Bison Association, said that some bison ranchers have allowed hunts over the years. But he said if the dead bison were not part of an authorized hunt they were the victims of “an egregious slaughter.”
He said most bison ranchers in the United States have not had problems with poachers or unauthorized hunters.
He said if 30 or more bison were killed without permission it would be upsetting to the members of the bison association.
“Our producers pride themselves. We raise the bison for meat, but while they are (on the range) we treat them with care and respect,” Carter said.
He said that there are about 500,000 bison in North America, with 270,000 in the United States. Most are on private ranches.
He said there are about 14,000 in Colorado.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
